Net migration rises as fewer Britons leave to live abroad

An estimated 140,000 British citizens emigrated in 2009, the lowest since 1999 and down from 173,000 in 2008, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The figures will pose further problems for the Government as it seeks to fulfil its pledge to cut net migration to the tens of thousands by 2015. To fulfil the Government's pledge, Home Secretary Theresa May has said all routes to entry, including student, work and family visas, as well as the link between temporary visas and settlement, will have to be tackled.

The number of migrant workers coming to Britain from outside the EU will be cut by a fifth and capped at 21,700 from next year.

Students coming to the UK to study a course below degree level – around 120,000 last year – will be targeted, as will those abusing the study route by using it as a means to stay on in the UK.

Visas for highly skilled workers without a job offer will effectively be scrapped and replaced by up to 1,000 visas for those with "exceptional talent", which will include sports people and scientists.

There will be a new minimum salary of 40,000 for firms using intra-company transfers (ICTs) to bring their own people into the UK for more than a year to do specific jobs, but employees staying for less than 12 months will be exempt, prompting fears that firms will seek to exploit the loophole.

Family visas will become more selective, with a minimum standard of English being introduced as a requirement for those applying for marriage visas.

The Government will also try to prevent tens of thousands of people who come to the UK each year to fill a temporary skills shortage from staying.

An estimated 368,000 people emigrated from the UK in 2009, down from 427,000 in 2008.

Along with the drop in Britons, the number of other EU citizens leaving fell to 109,000 from 134,000 in 2008. The number of non-EU citizens leaving was 119,000, a similar level to 2008.