SUELLA VOWS TO CUT NET MIGRANT RECORD OF 504,000

AS net migration hit a post-war high of 504,000 Suella Braverman vowed to cut the number of people coming to the UK.

- Sam Lister

The record total was three times that of the year before, as the world opened up again after Covid.

Ms Braverman yesterday promised to restore confidence in the migration system and pledged to tackle the rise "in dangerous and illegal crossings" of the Channel.

The Home Secretary said: "The public rightly expect us to control our borders and we remain committed to reducing migration over time."

Some 1.1 million headed to the UK legally including the hundreds of thousands of refugees from Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Ukraine who were offered sanctuary.

After the number of residents who left the country is taken into account, the net population has risen by 504,000 - a record increase that beats 2016's figure of 330,000.

Ms Braverman said: "We have welcomed hundreds of thousands of people to Britain this year following the devastating war in Ukraine, the evacuation from Afghanistan and the despicable crackdown on democratic rights in Hong Kong.

"Therefore, it is understandable that we have seen a record number of people coming to our country thanks to the generosity of the British people. Our immigration system allows us to provide refuge to those in need, including 144,600 Ukrainians, nearly 23,000 from Afghanistan and over 144,000 from Hong Kong.