Net migration to UK could rise to 300,000 by end of decade, says government adviser

Chair of migration advisory committee says figure will jump as numbers of overseas students and workers rise again

Net migration to the UK could rise to about 300,000 by the end of the decade, a leading government adviser has said.

Prof Brian Bell, the chair of the migration advisory committee, said the overall migration figure would jump “in the medium term” from the current level of 204,000 as the numbers of overseas students and workers rose again.

Keir Starmer’s election manifesto pledge is to reduce net migration, as Labour heads towards a general election campaign where immigration is expected to be a major issue.

Bell’s comments also reinforce a prediction by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which suggested last month there could be a rise before the end of the decade.