Surge in migration to UK biggest of any rich country

THE "unprecedented" surge in UK immigration last year was the biggest of any rich country, analysis reveals.

- Michael Knowles

Some 746,000 "permanent-type" migrants arrived last year, up from 488,400 in 2022. These are legal migrants, excluding students and refugees, who have gained the right to stay or are intent on doing so.

The UK, Australia, Canada, France, Finland, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg and Switzerland all reported record levels of migration last year, but the UK saw the sharpest growth, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Immigration to the UK rocketed by 52.9% in 2022-23, driven by a surge in UK health and social care visas, or other long-term visas.

The number arriving in Australia grew by more than a third, while the increases were 13.4% in America, 13% in Austria, 12.3% in Spain and 3.5% in Germany.