UK PM Starmer vows to slash net migration

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged an overhaul of Britain's immigration system on Thursday after revised figures showed net migration hit a record high of 906,000 in 2023 compared with a year earlier.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed, however, that estimated net migration numbers actually fell by 20 percent to 728,000 in the 12 months to June of this year.

A pledge to "take back control" of Britain's borders was a key plan of the successful campaign to leave the European Union. 

The drop in arrivals is partly attributed to rule changes introduced by the Conservatives in January that restrict the ability of most international students to bring family members to the UK.