Net migration to UK drops 69% year on year, ONS figures show

Irish author Sally Rooney informed the High Court that she may be unable to publish new books in the UK and might have to withdraw existing titles due to the government's ban on the activist group Palestine Action, which has been classified as a terrorist organization.

Sally Rooney's books may face withdrawal from sale in the UK due to a court ruling regarding the government's classification of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. Rooney has expressed her intention to use royalties from her work to support Palestine Action, which has sparked legal challenges against the ban.

Provisional figures indicate that net migration to the UK has sharply declined to 204,000 in the year ending June 2025, reflecting a significant drop in arrivals for work and study. This trend marks a notable shift in the UK's immigration landscape, which has been under scrutiny since Brexit.

Irish author Sally Rooney has informed the High Court that she is unlikely to publish new works in the UK while the ban on the activist group Palestine Action remains in place, citing her public support for the group as a potential reason for her books disappearing from UK stores altogether.

The UK has seen a significant shift in its migration landscape, with the latest interactive tracker revealing the latest statistics on asylum seekers, visa applications, and small boat crossings. This data reflects ongoing changes in migration patterns and policies affecting the country.

The British Future thinktank has predicted that net migration to the UK will decrease to approximately 300,000, a figure reminiscent of pre-Brexit levels, as new data is set to be released. This projection indicates a significant drop from the current figures for 2023, which are over three times higher.

UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has unveiled a new budget that raises taxes for ordinary workers while increasing government spending on social welfare programs. The plan aims to elevate the government's tax revenue to a post-war high of 38% of GDP by 2031, as reported by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). This budget is set to be a pivotal moment for the Labour government amid ongoing economic challenges.

A UK judge is currently reviewing the government's decision to classify the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization under counter-terrorism laws. This review comes amid ongoing legal challenges from the group, which argues that the ban is unprecedented and unjustified.