UK brain drain worsens amid immigration crackdown

A quarter of UK STEM employers have seen talent leave for roles overseas, according to a new study. As the UK continues to make its immigration rules more stringent, there are fears in the sector that this could come at the expense of the country’s scientific and technological leadership.

According to the Office for National Statistics, net migration into the UK was two-thirds lower in the year up to June 2025 than it was the previous 12 months. The number of people immigrating minus the number of people emigrating is most recently estimated to be 204,000, according to the ONS, down from 649,000 in the year to June 2024, the ONS says. That is also the lowest estimated figure since 2021, when many lockdown provisions for international travel were still in place.

While populist politicians have spent decades campaigning for this, however, and will undoubtedly push for that figure to fall even further, the shift will exacerbate a number of rifts within the UK society and the economy. With an ageing population seeing a growing number of people reaching retirement age, and short-staffed, underfunded care-homes already pushed to the brink, a reduction of migration is already having a chronic impact in those areas.

But the implications may also see the UK economy further fall from prominence in terms of its technology prowess. With fewer people seeing the UK as a viable destination to bring their skills, a new report from workforce consultancy SThree has found that 13% of STEM employers have seen talent exit for opportunities abroad in the last year alone.

The STEM Workforce Report also found that the pressure was unlikely to ease, with 13% of STEM professionals now in the process of moving overseas or making plans to do so. A further 25% would consider moving abroad in the next 12 months if the right opportunity came along. Meanwhile, such is the global demand for highly skilled STEM workers, that 31% have been approached by a rival employer about overseas opportunities in the last 12 months – with 44% of STEM professionals saying improved quality of life could persuade them to take on work outside the UK.

Rakesh Patel, managing director for the UK and rest of Europe, SThree, said, “Skilled immigration is crucial to the UK’s economic future. Yet UK businesses now face stricter sponsorship rules just as global competition for STEM talent intensifies. It is therefore hard for STEM employers to understand the rationale for increasing salary requirements and reducing the range of eligible roles for skilled worker visas. This squeeze will be felt most by early-career scientists, engineers and researchers - the very people UK employers depend on to fill skills gaps and build future capability.”

Nearly 10 million people are employed in jobs related to STEM in the UK and the sector is considered important for future economic growth. STEM employers encompass technology and IT, engineering and manufacturing, health and pharmaceuticals, and scientific research. But in the last two years, the minimum salary threshold for a skilled worker visa in the UK has risen dramatically – making it even harder to combat the nation’s ‘brain drain’.

It increased from £26,200 to £38,700 in April 2024 and has increased again to £41,700 in July this year. Correspondingly, SThree found that 62% of STEM professionals fear tougher immigration rules will weaken the UK’s competitiveness.

Patel added, “Without the right STEM talent, we cannot deliver on net zero and digital transformation, nor remain competitive in vital sectors such as life sciences, technology and engineering, all of which underpin the government’s Industrial Strategy. We urgently need a national STEM strategy to tackle the problem from both sides. We must keep the brightest minds in the UK while attracting international expertise where it’s needed most. We risk becoming a training ground for talented people who then leave to build their lives in successful, modern economies elsewhere.”