Immigration statistics, July to September 2012
This release presents the latest immigration statistics from Home Office administrative sources covering quarter 3, July to September 2012.
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Summary points: quarter 3 2012
(All data relate to year ending September 2012; comparisons are with previous 12 months unless indicated)
There were further falls in visas issued for work, study and family reasons, and also fewer extensions of stay and fewer permissions to stay permanently (settlement). The recent falls for work and study are likely in part to be due to policy changes, which came into effect in December 2010 and April 2011.
Work
There were fewer work-related visas issued (-4% to 145,604, the lowest recorded using comparable data) and fewer grants of work-related permissions to stay permanently (-5% to 65,310). However there was an increase in work-related grants to extend stay in the UK (10% to 142,443).
Study
There were 29% fewer sponsored student visa applications and similarly there were 26% fewer study visas issued. There was a 1% increase in sponsored student visa applications for the university sector, contrasting with falls for the further education sector (- 67%), English language schools (-76%), and independent schools (-17%).
Before entry
The total number of visas issued, excluding visitor and transit visas, fell by 14% to 508,488, to the lowest 12-monthly total recorded using comparable data available from 2005.
Admissions
There were 105.6 million journeys to the UK in the year ending September 2012. This total was 0.6 million less than for the year ending June 2012 reflecting fewer passengers arriving during the staging of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Asylum
There were 20,838 asylum applications, 8% higher than the previous 12 months. This remains well below the peak number of asylum applications received in the year ending December 2002 (84,132).
Detention
During the third quarter of 2012 (July to September), 48 children entered detention, lower than for the second quarter of 2012 (60). The number of children in detention for the third quarter of 2012 remains well below the peak in these figures for the third quarter of 2009 (322) using comparable data available from 2009.
Removals and Voluntary Departures
Enforced removals remained steady at 14,823, while the number of passengers refused entry at port and who subsequently departed has fallen 15% to 13,632. There was a 7% fall in total voluntary departures to 23,184, (although retrospective checks mean that these figures are particularly subject to upward revision).
For additional summary points see the full summary in the Statistical News Release.
Data tables
The data tables for ‘Immigration Statistics, July to September 2012’.
Last updated 3 October 2013 + show all updates
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Documents 'Statistical news release: immigration statistics July - September 2011' and 'Pre-release access to the immigration statistics, July - September 2011' replaced with 'Statistical news release: immigration statistics July to September 2012' and 'Pre-release access to the immigration statistics July to September 2012'.
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First published.