Watch again as Sir Keir Starmer held a news conference on net migration.
The prime minister held a press conference at Downing Street at 3pm on Thursday (28 November).
Sir Keir responded to the latest data, which revealed net migration to the UK hit a record 906,000 in 2023.
The ONS figures indicate net migration has since dropped by 20 percent and stood at 728,000 in the latest period for the year to June 2024.
A total of 133,409 people were waiting for an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of September 2024.
This is up 12 percent from 118,882 at the end of June 2024, but down year on year by 19% from 165,411 at the end of September 2023.
The number peaked at 175,457 at the end of June 2023, which was the highest figure since current records began in 2010.
The number of people waiting more than six months for an initial decision stood at 83,888 at the end of September, up from 76,268 at the end of June, but down year-on-year by 33% from 124,461.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “In the space of four years net migration rose by almost five times to a record high – that shows the serious damage that was done to the immigration system, the lack of proper controls in place, and the over-reliance on a big increase in overseas recruitment.
“Net migration is still four times higher than it was at the beginning of the last parliament and we are clear that it needs to come down.”
