Net Emigration in the UK Jumps 20 Percent

New reports are now showing that, just last year, net emigration in the UK soared by some 20 percent. This was fueled by growing numbers of overseas students. It was also brought on by a drop in the number of Brits leaving the UK to live abroad.

This increase is, of course, bad news for the UK government. According to The Institute for Public Policy Research, the government's main aim is to reduce net emigration to tens of thousands rather than the current hundreds of thousands.

The Office of National Statistics said that net long-term emigration rose to 196,000 last year. This was up from 163,000 in 2008. Although 4 percent fewer people arrived in the UK last year, the number of people who left the country fell by 13 percent, meaning that the number of people living in the UK increased overall.

The number of visas issued to students rose by some 35 percent to 362,015 in the year to June. The overall number of visas issued was also up by about 8 percent. It broke the two million mart. Despite this, there was still an 18 percent fall in visas for highly skilled workers and a 9 percent drop in the number of visas for skilled workers. The figures also showed that the number of people that were granted settlement rights in the UK rose 37 percent.

The Institute for Public Policy Research said that the government's objective of cutting net emigration is becoming harder to reach. They went on to say that meeting it looks likely to have serious economic costs for the UK. It may not deliver the political results that the government is currently seeking.