July 16 (UPI) -- More European Union citizens left Britain in 2017 than in any year on record, the British Office of National Statistics said Monday.
Data indicate 139,000 EU citizens left the country last year, but net migration -- the difference between people arriving and those emigrating, rose to 227,000. Net migration in 2017 was the highest level since September 2011, the government report showed.
"What these statistics show is that more of the people who are coming to the U.K. are coming for the reasons we would want, to take up a definite job or to study," Immigration Minister Caroline Noakes said.
The ONS data involves the first full calendar year since Britain voted to leave the EU in mid-2016.
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It's a government goal to reduce the number of people entering the country to seek employment to the low tens of thousands, BBC News reported.
While statistics indicate the British government is far from reaching its goal, fewer EU residents are entering the country, an indication immigration protections will change after Britain formally leaves the union next year.
"The estimated number of EU citizens coming to the U.K. 'looking for work' continued to decrease over the last year and the number coming to the U.K. for a definite job has remained stable," the ONS said.
Stability is the dominant concern, the study said.
"These latest figures show that migration has continued to add to the U.K. population," said Nicola White of the ONS Migration Statistics Division. "Net migration fell following record levels in 2015 and early 2016 and has been broadly stable since. Underlying this immigration has remained broadly stable at around 630,000 and emigration has shown a gradual increase since 2015 and is currently at around 350,000."
