UK's Migration Dilemma: Record Arrivals and Trust Issues

Net migration to the UK reached a record high of 606,000 last year, driven by non-EU workers and special visa schemes for Ukraine and Hong Kong, according to the Office for National Statistics. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to reduce arrivals, but faces difficulty doing so at a time of acute labour shortages. The increase in migration highlights the difficulty of balancing post-Brexit immigration policy, with pressure to curb migration from some voters and labour shortages in key sectors. The government has announced reforms to remove the right for some international students to bring family members into the UK, but has not set a specific target for net migration.