UK Government Faces Dilemma as Net Migration Hits Record High

UK net migration hit a record high of 606,000 in 2022, despite government pledges to reduce the figure. The government has stressed that many recent arrivals are refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. Legal migration is a contentious issue within the Conservative party. On Tuesday, the UK government announced restrictions on student visas, the largest source of migration to the UK. The government says that under its post-Brexit points-based immigration system, it has control over its borders and filling labor market gaps.