 "74,000 Indians leave the UK as net migration plunges 80% in 2025")
Indian students and workers topped the UK’s exit charts on Thursday as the latest net migration figures showed a sharp fall, with overall numbers dropping by 204,000 in the year to June 2025, an 80 per cent fall from the 2023 peak.
ONS data shows that around 45,000 Indians on study visas and 22,000 holders of work-related visas left the UK in the same period. A further 7,000 Indian nationals recorded under the “other” visa category also departed, taking the total number of Indian emigrants to 74,000. Chinese nationals were next with 42,000 departures.
“Indian was the most common non-EU nationality to emigrate (or leave) from the UK,” said the Office for National Statistics in its release.
It added that the rise in departures among people who had originally arrived on study visas was “primarily being driven by the large numbers of Indian and Chinese nationals leaving in YE June 2025”.
Indians continue to dominate arrivals as well, with 90,000 study visa grants and 46,000 work visa grants recorded in the same period. “Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Nigerian are regularly among the top five most frequent non-EU+ nationalities for long-term immigration,” the ONS said.
Why has net migration dipped so sharply?
Net migration, the difference between arrivals and departures, has been a central political concern for the UK government, which says high numbers have strained housing, public services and local communities.
“Net migration is at the lowest level seen since 2021, when pandemic lockdown restrictions were lifted and the new immigration system was introduced following the UK’s EU exit,” said Mary Gregory, Executive Director for Population and Census at the ONS.
“The fall is largely due to fewer people from outside the EU arriving for work and study-related reasons, with a steep decline in the number of dependants, and a continued, gradual increase in levels of emigration,” she said. “Non-EU+ emigration is driven by Indian and Chinese nationals, who originally arrived on study visas, while nine out of 10 British people emigrating are of working age.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who tabled a series of tighter rules in Parliament this month, welcomed the fall. She said the latest figures showed net migration was now at its lowest level in five years and had “fallen by more than two-thirds under this government”.
“But we are going further because the pace and scale of migration has placed immense pressure on local communities,” she said. “Last week, I announced reforms to our migration system to ensure that those who come here must contribute and put in more than they take out.”
How are Skilled Worker visa changes affecting UK industries?
The Work Rights Centre charity offered a different view, warning that shrinking numbers of Skilled Worker visas could weaken the UK’s long-term growth.
“This government’s preoccupation with reducing immigration is actively working against economic growth,” said Dr Dora Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre. “The government is prioritising a performative ‘tough’ stance on immigration, but in doing so, it is gambling with migrant welfare and directly undermining its own manifesto promises to build homes and boost industry.”
The group’s analysis pointed to Skilled Worker visas falling to their lowest quarterly level in three years. Just 11,733 visas were granted to main applicants in Q3 2025, driven largely by a dramatic drop in Health and Care Worker visas. These visas fell from a peak of 45,071 in Q3 2023 to only 2,628 in Q3 2025 after restrictions on dependants, higher salary thresholds and more compliance checks.
Skilled Worker visas issued under the general route have also more than halved, from 21,035 in Q1 2024 to 9,105 in Q3 2025, following higher salary requirements and repeated increases in employer sponsorship costs.
What do medium-skilled shortages look like on the ground?
Sectors already dealing with shortages are struggling further as fewer skilled workers arrive.
Points include:
• Only 7,572 Skilled Worker visas were issued in the year to September 2025 for 82 medium-skilled roles identified as important to the Industrial Strategy
• These included 344 visas for engineering technicians, 311 for welders and 240 for data analysts
• New rules could push numbers even lower
Vacancies are rising faster than recruitment. Construction is a case in point. The Construction Industry Training Board estimates that 61,000 new workers are needed each year to meet the target of 1.5 million new homes by 2030. But only 1,660 Skilled Worker visas were issued for construction roles in the year to September 2025, and domestic recruitment is not keeping up.
What risks does the temporary shortage list pose for workers?
To cushion shortages, the government created a temporary shortage list of 52 medium-skilled jobs still open to migrant workers, though without dependant rights. These include logistics managers, visual artists, data analysts, ship builders and construction trades.
However, sponsorship remains costly and complex, especially for small firms. Many companies in construction are micro-businesses that rely on contractors rather than employees, making them ill-suited to visa sponsorship.
Work Rights Centre said the new system could increase the risk of exploitation. It pointed to the Migration Advisory Committee, which has warned that employer-tied visas are particularly risky in sectors like construction.
The charity said workers in these roles also lose the right to bring partners, removing an important layer of financial and emotional support. It said the government had not addressed these added risks for medium-skilled migrant workers.