Net migration to Sheffield down since Brexit vote

During the year leading up to the Brexit referendum in June 2016, the Office for National Statistics estimates that 3,933 more long-term migrants arrived in Sheffield from abroad than left the city.

In the following 12 months, that figure dropped by 324 '“ more than eight per cent.

In total, 6,859 people moved to Sheffield from abroad during that period, with 3,250 heading in the opposite direction, resulting in a net migration of 3,609.

The Sheffield figures do not give details of where immigrants have come from but the latest national statistics, for 2017-18, show EU migration is at its lowest level since 2012.

Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said: 'The UK has clearly become a less attractive country for EU migrants since the referendum.

'The lower value of the pound means that workers coming here for higher wages are getting less than they were in the past, and economic conditions in many of the key EU countries of origin have improved a lot over the past few years.

'Uncertainty about the implications of Brexit may have played a role.'

Nicola Rogers, of the ONS' Centre for Migration, said: 'Today's figures show that around 270,000 more people are coming to the UK than leaving, so net migration is continuing to add to the UK population.

"Net migration has been broadly stable since peak levels seen in 2015 and 2016.'

Net migration remains well above the Government's target of 100,000.

Non-EU net migration to the UK is now almost three times higher than from the EU, according to the ONS.

The figures also give details about GP registrations by migrants.

From July 2015 to June 2016, 9,548 patients registered, compared with 8,636 patients during the subsequent 12 months.