EU citizens quit UK in droves after Brexit vote

Net migration to the UK fell to a three-year low after an exodus of European workers following the June 2016 Brexit vote.

Arrivals outnumbered departures by 246,000 in the 12 months to end-March 2017. That was down a “statistically significant” 81,000 from a year earlier and was also the lowest figure since March 2014, the Office for National Statistics in London said on Thursday.

EU nationals quitting Britain accounted for much of the change. The outflow was most pronounced among citizens of the eight central and eastern European nations that joined the bloc in 2004, including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The number of people coming to Britain declined.

“The EU referendum result may be influencing people’s decision to migrate into and out of the UK, particularly EU and EU-8 citizens,” said Nicola White, head of international migration statistics at the office. “It is too early to tell if this is an indication of a long-term trend.”

The data will be welcomed by Prime Minister Theresa May, who has promised to cut annual net migration to the “tens of thousands”, but business leaders say the loss of foreign workers risks harming the economy.

Sectors such as hospitality and construction, which rely heavily on EU workers, are already warning of growing skills shortages. Universities have also expressed fears over losing key staff.

“No one should celebrate these numbers,” said Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills policy at the Institute of Directors. He said record-low unemployment meant Britain would face a labour shortage without EU residents.

“Signs that it is becoming a less attractive place to live and work are a concern.”

The rights of EU citizens in the UK post-Brexit, and those of Britons living in other EU countries, have yet to be resolved more than a year after the vote

THE EU REFERENDUM RESULT MAY BE INFLUENCING PEOPLE’S DECISION TO MIGRATE INTO AND OUT OF THE UK

to leave the bloc. The slump in the value of the pound since the referendum may also have made the UK less attractive for migrant workers.

The number of EU citizens leaving Britain increased 37% in the year to end-March to 122,000, the highest figure since 2008. Emigration among EU-8 citizens jumped to 46,000, while 16,000 Bulgarians and Romanians departed — double the number a year earlier.

At the same time, fewer people came to Britain, with immigration from both EU and nonEU countries declining by about 8%. The fall was partly due to a sharp drop in the number of people arriving for study, down 16% on the year. / Bloomberg