live from london. this is bbc news. figures estimate that you net migration stood at seven and 28,000 last year. civilians shelter in metro stations, as russia launches a widespread attack across ukraine. uk police say they are investigating at least five people suspected of assisting former owner of harrods — mohamed al fayed in committing sexual offences. the australian senate is expected to pass legislation banning social media for under—16s, a world—first. smoked turkey is going to be delicious. and, could this thanksgiving mark a turning point

0n the international space station. net migration to the uk is down by 20% according to figures. the estimated net migration was 720,000 people in the 12 months tojune this year. that is the number of people arriving minus the number of people leaving. represented an increase to the population. that latest figure is down from 906,000 the previous year. this is a reflection of policies under the previous conservative government. the shadow home secretary said that a figure of 350,000 will still be significantly too high. the migration minister has declined to put a figure on the ideal amount of net migration. the figures came out at 9:30am and i wasjoined by the

figures came out at 9:30am and i was joined by the country who is coming into the country but we don't know how long they're going to stay so that can lead to us updating estimates.— can lead to us updating estimates. ~ u, can lead to us updating estimates. ~ _, ., estimates. we were coming and thinkin: estimates. we were coming and thinking 685000 _ estimates. we were coming and thinking 685000 and _ estimates. we were coming and thinking 685000 and then - estimates. we were coming and thinking 685000 and then we i estimates. we were coming and. thinking 685000 and then we get the figure of 728,000 so we think that has gone up, that isn't the case because the actual figure isn't the case because the

actualfigure back isn't the case because the actual figure back then was 906,000. actual figure back then was 906,000-— actual figure back then was 906,000. , ~ ., , 906,000. yes, i think that is important _ 906,000. yes, i think that is important to _ 906,000. yes, i think that is important to remember - 906,000. yes, i think that is important to remember that l 906,000. yes, ithinkthat is. important to remember that we have seen a 20% decrease on the most recent year. do have seen a 20% decrease on the most recent year.— most recent year. do we have any breakdown _ most recent year. do we have any breakdown of _ most recent year. do we have any breakdown of those - most recent year. do we have i any breakdown of those numbers in terms of where people are coming from, any kind of details?— coming from, any kind of details? ~ ., , ., details? we can say a bit more about that- _ details? we can say a bit more about that. historically, - details? we can say a bit more about that. historically, we - about that. historically, we have seen people coming from the eu from than from outside the eu from than from outside the eu. in the latest year we have 86 from 400 people coming from outside the eu. the countries that are having the highest levels are india, nigeria and pakistan. [30 highest levels are india, nigeria and pakistan. do we have any — nigeria and pakistan. do we have any kind _ nigeria and pakistan. do we have any kind of _ nigeria and pakistan. do we have any kind of breakdown | nigeria and pakistan. do we i have any kind of breakdown of what people are coming to do, big areas of the economy? imark big areas of the economy? work and study related _

big areas of the economy? r and study related immigration are both the highest and remain the highest. we have seen a slight drop in the student dependence coming in, students have stayed stable compared to the previous year. work—related entry has stayed relatively similar to the year earlier. it is important to remember we have seen policy changes in early 2024 but our data only goes up tojune 2024 so we don't expect to see the full impact of those policies until the next year.— the next year. this is full ille . al the next year. this is full illegal migration, - the next year. this is full illegal migration, talk . the next year. this is full illegal migration, talk us | illegal migration, talk us through the difference between legal and illegal migration, asylum figures and the separate nature of those.— nature of those. these figures include asylum _ nature of those. these figures include asylum and _ nature of those. these figures include asylum and around - nature of those. these figures include asylum and around 8% nature of those. these figures i include asylum and around 8% of people is asylum, that includes people is asylum, that includes people coming in on small boat but it also includes people coming through other routes and claiming asylum.—

claiming asylum. shortly after that conversation _ claiming asylum. shortly after that conversation i _ claiming asylum. shortly after that conversation i spoke - claiming asylum. shortly after that conversation i spoke to i that conversation i spoke to our chief political correspondent, explaining why the figures released don't relate to the present labour government. taste relate to the present labour government.— government. we are talking about the — government. we are talking about the year _ government. we are talking about the year to _ government. we are talking about the year to end - government. we are talking about the year to end june l about the year to end june 2024, the 12 months beforejune 2024. as many people will remember, the general election where labour entered office was in july the 4th 2024. where labour entered office was injuly the 4th 2024. they had no impact whatsoever on these numbers. they will be pleased nevertheless to see the numbers beginning to come down from the extraordinarily high as far as many politicians were concerned that they reached a little while before that. nevertheless, during the general election campaign when the previous statistics came out, keir starmer promised to reduce immigration, net migration. he didn't put a target number but nevertheless i think he will hope for

political purposes, as well as economic and other reasons, that over the coming years of this labour government he will be able to reduce the net migration numbers further. remind us of the changes the conservatives brought in in their attempts to bring down their attempts to bring down the numbers. ibis their attempts to bring down the numbers.— their attempts to bring down the numbers. as was referred to, and the numbers. as was referred to. and at _ the numbers. as was referred to, and at the _ the numbers. as was referred to, and at the start _ the numbers. as was referred to, and at the start of - the numbers. as was referred to, and at the start of the - to, and at the start of the year changes introduced by rishi sunak took effect. they made it much harderforforeign students and people coming to work such as doctors, care workers to bring family members with them to the uk. he also increased the earnings threshold, the amount of money you need to be earning if you want a reason to come to the uk. we will expect those decisions to have some impact on the numbers having declined. though it was interesting to hear, and i think we should repeat because it is worth

remembering when these statistics roll around, the 0ns saying that they think more of the impact of those measures will be felt over the months afterjune 2024, the next time we get these figures.— we get these figures. looking forward to — we get these figures. looking forward to the _ we get these figures. looking forward to the next _ we get these figures. looking forward to the next time - we get these figures. looking forward to the next time we l we get these figures. looking l forward to the next time we get the stats, what has the current government said it wants to do? reduce immigration essentially. it is the assessment of pretty much both the leadership of the labour party and the conservative party, not to mention some other political parties, that their voters believe immigration is far too high. it is worth remembering that these numbers, even with a 20% decrease in previous years, these numbers are as significant increase on the levels of net migration we were seeing pre—brexit. that is why we saw kemi badenoch, the new leader of the conservative party essentially apologising

for the conservative's record on immigration, to pre—empt the criticism that immigration got out of control on the conservative's watch. she said that the conservatives had got english wrong and that was her first big speech as leader, it is telling that is something she needs to say before setting out what her own policy on immigration is going to be. the labour party has a slightly different coalition where some people who voted labour who believe in the economic benefits of notjust some immigration but high numbers of immigration. but it is definitely the strategic assessment of some people at the top of government that they will erode support notjust to the conservatives but also to reform party and less on labour�*s watch the immigration number begins to fall. labour's watch the immigration number begins to fall.- number begins to fall. thank ou to number begins to fall. thank you to henry _ number begins to fall. thank you to henry for— number begins to fall. thank you to henry for that. - number begins to fall. thank you to henry for that. and i number begins to fall. thank. you to henry for that. and mary from the 0ns before that. we are up to date, let's get some

analysis. let's speak to the director of the think tank british future. thank you. what is your reaction to the figures?— is your reaction to the fi . ures? , ., figures? these are high numbers. _ figures? these are high numbers, over - figures? these are highl numbers, over 700,000 figures? these are high i numbers, over 700,000 a figures? these are high - numbers, over 700,000 a year, historically net migration going back to the turn—of—the—century has tended to be around 300,000. it has peaked, the surprise is that the historic numbers gone up to 900,000 so the reduction is down from a high number. there are different reasons why we have the sort of record levels of immigration. some of them were exceptional events, large number of people from ukraine and hong kong. some were choices the government made after brexit because we are talking about 1.25 million people coming from outside the eu from countries like india

and nigeria. that is because eu migration is much smaller after brexit but the government chose to make non—eu migration more liberal. to make non-eu migration more liberal. ~ ., to make non-eu migration more liberal. ~ . , ., to make non-eu migration more liberal. ~ ., , ., ., ~ to make non-eu migration more liberal. ~ ., .,~ ., liberal. what you make of the trust between _ liberal. what you make of the trust between voters - liberal. what you make of the trust between voters and - liberal. what you make of the trust between voters and the | trust between voters and the people they vote for when conversations about numbers, going back to the 300,000, david cameron talking about getting numbers down to tens of thousands. is there an erosion of trust when the numbers seem to vary so much? i of trust when the numbers seem to vary so much?— to vary so much? i think there is a big challenge _ to vary so much? i think there is a big challenge of _ to vary so much? i think there is a big challenge of trust - is a big challenge of trust because over the 2010s, the conservatives were trying to get net migration to a hundredth thousand and they didn't get to that level. at the last general election before this one, they said it would come down below that, but it tripled. politicians keeping promises is important but if you want to keep promises you have to be careful to not make promises you can't keep. voters

and politicians know there are dilemmas of controlling immigration because the government has decided it wants visas for the health service, social care, in the economy, we benefit from international students. we need a better debate about what are the pressures of high immigration because these will seem high to people for housing and public service, how do we manage promising a level that will not be delivered. we need to engage people about the choices we make and it would be a better way to restore trust and recognise the balance. people are in favour of many government policies to have migration in the nhs and so on while worrying about how we handle numbers this high. thank ou ve handle numbers this high. thank you very much- _ handle numbers this high. thank you very much. let's _ handle numbers this high. thank you very much. let's speak - handle numbers this high. thank you very much. let's speak to i you very much. let's speak to ex chief immigration 0fficer ex chief immigration officer for border force. thank you for coming on the programme. what

you make of the numbers? thea;r you make of the numbers? they are not really — you make of the numbers? they are not really a _ you make of the numbers? they are not really a surprise, - you make of the numbers? they are not really a surprise, we - are not really a surprise, we always knew that the migration figures would come down a bit because of the things that the conservatives put in place. and the increase in illegal migration is because we are failing miserably to stop people coming across the channel. people coming across the channel-— people coming across the channel. ~ , ., ., channel. we should point out that the vast _ channel. we should point out that the vast majority - channel. we should point out that the vast majority of - channel. we should point out that the vast majority of the l that the vast majority of the numbers we have been talking about is legal migration. let's focus on the illegal migration, what is your assessment of the situation? we what is your assessment of the situation?— situation? we are doing all the wron: situation? we are doing all the wrong thinqs- _ situation? we are doing all the wrong things. what _ situation? we are doing all the wrong things. what we - situation? we are doing all the wrong things. what we are - situation? we are doing all the l wrong things. what we are doing is we are trying to break up the gangs and breaking up