The United Kingdom reported the highest growth rate in permanent migration among OECD countries in 2023, with an unprecedented 750,000 new arrivals, a 52% increase from the previous year.
This made the UK the second-largest destination for new permanent migrants in the OECD, trailing only the United States, which saw 1.2 million new legal residents.
Permanent migration to OECD countries reached an all-time high in 2023, with over 6.5 million people moving to member states, marking a 10% rise from 2022. Notably, more than half of the migrants who permanently settled in the UK did so for work-related reasons, particularly under the Health and Care Worker visa scheme.
Germany, Canada, Poland, Spain, and France followed the UK in terms of total new arrivals, while Poland, Hungary, Australia, and several other nations saw record immigration levels. South Korea recorded the second-highest growth rate after the UK, with a 50.9% increase.
The report also highlighted countries with significant declines in migration, including Turkey, Estonia, Lithuania, New Zealand, and Israel.
Indians represented the largest nationality moving to OECD countries in 2023, followed by Chinese, Russians, and Romanians. Most migrants relocated for family reasons (31%) or work (20%).
In the European Union, the majority of migrants were employed in mining, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and hospitality sectors.
Source: Euronews
