Immigration figures were ‘weighed’ says ex-pm’s adviser

IMMIGRATION figures used to be calculated by weighing paper forms to estimate how many people were coming into the country, a former adviser to David Cameron has revealed.

Rohan Silva branded the immigration system “antiquated” because of the way visa forms were counted before changes were brought in recently to make the figures more accurate.

It came as Theresa May denied that she exaggerated the number of students overstaying their visas, following reports the number was around 4,600, far lower than the 100,000 claimed.

Speaking during a visit to Japan, the Prime Minister said recent figures showing only a small number stay longer than they are officially allowed to is proof that her policies have worked. She said: “The figures that we’ve looked at in the past are the ONS figures.

“But what’s clear is that it’s action that we have taken as a government that has had an impact on students.

“We now see more students actually leaving the United Kingdom after they’ve completed their degree; previously we saw significant numbers staying. We have taken action to root out abuse in the system.”

Writing in the London Evening Standard, edited by former Tory Chancellor George Osborne, Mr Silva said: “The immigration system is so antiquated, piles of visa entry forms – the slip of paper you fill in when you arrive in the UK – were collected in boxes. These were then sent off to be weighed, in an attempt to estimate how many people were coming through.

“Imagine that. In the 21st century, at a time when technology is more affordable and powerful than ever, the most important statistic in the entire immigration system was calculated using an old-fashioned weighing scale.”