Immigration from outside EU surges to a 14-year high

As European arrivals hit lowest level since 2012...

IMMIGRATION from outside Europe has reached near-record levels, official figures show.

Migrants arriving in Britain from outside the EU added an ‘astonishing’ 248,000 to the population last year.

This total is higher than any year except 2004 – the peak of migration under Tony Blair’s Labour government.

The figures were pushed up by growing numbers of workers from Asian countries, including doctors and nurses arriving to work for the NHS, the Office for National Statistics said.

The leap in non-EU immigration balanced a fall in numbers coming from within the bloc, amid uncertainty over Brexit.

EU net migration was 74,000, the lowest since 2012 and half the 2016 figure. Despite this, the ONS revealed the number of Romanian-born people in the country (410,000) now outstrips those from Ireland ( 380,000) for the first time. The overall net migration figure – the number of people added to the population after both immigration and emigration have been counted – stood at 273,000, close to three times the Government’s longstanding target of 100,000.

The figures provoked protests from campaign groups.

Lord Green, of Migration Watch UK, said: ‘The net inflow from the EU is still roughly the size of the British Army.

‘Meanwhile, non-EU net migration at 248,000 is an astonbefore ishing number.’ He said the Government had failed to take ‘effective action’ to stem the tide of new arrivals.

Ministers are expected to reveal a post-Brexit immigration system, covering all new arrivals, in the next few weeks.

Net migration first reached 270,000 in 2014 and climbed above 300,000 in 2015. The numbers remain far higher than the 165,000 used by the ONS to predict population levels. If the trend continues, the population will reach 70million 2029, with extra pressure on housing, transport, energy supplies, schools and the NHS.

The latest figures, for the 12 months to the end of June, show 625,000 immigrants arrived in the UK and 351,000 people emigrated. The difference – net migration – was made up of 248,000 arrivals from outside Europe and 74,000 EU citizens, while 49,000 more British citizens left the country than returned from abroad.

Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said: ‘These figures clearly show that the UK is attracting and retaining highly skilled workers, including doctors and nurses, and the brightest international students.

‘However, we are committed to controlled and sustainable migration. As we leave the EU we will put in place a system which works in the best interests of the whole of the UK.’

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: ‘The Government’s net migration target is reckless and foolish. It has never been met and non-EU migration alone outstrips it.’