Suella Braverman has failed to turn up to the House of Commons to answer the Urgent Question on record net migration figures.
New estimates show net migration to the UK hit a new record high of 606,000 last year, driven by people from non-EU countries arriving for work, study and humanitarian reasons.
The figure, which is the difference between the number of people moving to the UK and the number leaving, is up from 488,000 in 2021.
The estimates include people who have come to the UK from Ukraine and Hong Kong under resettlement schemes, as well as overseas students – though there are signs that those who first arrived for study reasons in 2021 are now starting to leave, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which compiled the figures.
A total of 1.2 million people are likely to have migrated to the UK in 2022, while 557,000 are estimated to have migrated from the UK in the same period.
Braverman failed to turn up to an urgent question in the House of Commons today and is refusing to do any media appearances, with the Home Office saying she is focused on “internal meetings”.
Speaking at the despatch box, Yvette Cooper said: “Where is the Home Secretary? What is the point of her?”
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