LONDON, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of people from European Union (EU) countries heading to Britain as long-term immigrants has fallen to its lowest level since 2013, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Thursday in a new report.
In the year to June, 199,000 people arrived from EU countries, and 151,000 left Britain, meaning a net-migration of EU citizens totaling 48,000, the lowest figure since 2013 when the net migration from the EU worked out at around 200,000.
The numbers leaving dramatically accelerated after the 2016 referendum when Britain voted to end its membership of the EU. Within a year, the figure had fallen to 100,000, with the downward trend continuing.
ONS said the fall in immigration has mainly been because fewer EU citizens are heading to Britain looking for work, particularly those from the central and eastern European countries, added ONS. In the year to June, more citizens from eastern European countries left Britain than arrived.
At the same time, data showed that the number of people arriving for work from non-EU countries has increased since 2014.
An ONS spokesperson said: "While there are still more EU citizens moving to the UK than leaving, EU net migration has fallen since 2016, driven by fewer EU arrivals for work."
"In contrast, non-EU net migration has gradually increased for the past six years, largely as more non-EU citizens came to study," the spokesperson said.
