Net migration to UK dipped below in two years

Baku. 23 February. REPORT.AZ/ Net migration to the UK has dropped to 273,000 in the year to September, down 49,000 from the previous year, after referendum on the country's withdrawal from the European Union. It is for the first time that net migration dipped below 300,000 since June, 2014.

Report informs citing BBC, the Office for National Statistics said in the statement from September 2015 to September 2016.

For the year, over 12 000 citizens of Poland and other European countries left the UK.

According to the statistics, number of EU citizens who apply for a residence permit in the UK, increased 2-fold during the year (2015 year - 92 000; 2016 - over 201 000). Over 140 000 granted residence permits.

British Minister of Immigration Robert Goodwill said that the government will take measures to reduce number of people entering the country. According to him, the government aims to reduce net migration to tens of thousands.

In a referendum in June 2016 the majority of British residents (51.9%) voted for the country's withdrawal from the European Union.