UK Immigration Hits Record High AGAIN – 636,000 Entries In 12 Months

Net migration into the UK has hit a record high of 336,000 in the year up to June 2015, representing a 34 per cent increase in the space of a year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

A total of 636,000 immigrated to the United Kingdom in the year ending June 2015, while the number leaving was around 300,000.

But once again the devil is in the detail. There were a whopping 862,000 National Insurance number (NINo) registrations to adult overseas nationals in the year ending September 2015. While some of this can be attributed to new registrations of longer-standing residents, the International Passenger Survey, upon which the UK’s immigration figures are based, are noted for being inaccurate.

Of the new arrivals, 45 per cent were not citizens of European Union (EU) countries while 42 per cent were from the EU, marking another sharp increase in EU-based immigration.

• The net migration figure was a statistically significant increase from 254,000 in the year ending June 2014 and remains the highest net migration on record. This is a result of a statistically significant increase in immigration (from 574,000 in the year ending June 2014) and a decrease in emigration (from 320,000 in the year ending June 2014 (not statistically significant)).
• Net migration of EU citizens showed a statistically significant increase to 180,000 (up 42,000 from the year ending June 2014). Non-EU net migration also had a statistically significant increase, to 201,000 (up 36,000).
• The increase in long-term international immigration included a statistically significant increase for EU citizens to 265,000 (up 42,000), and an increase for non-EU citizens to 286,000 (up 17,000) (not statistically significant).
• 294,000 people immigrated for work in the year ending June 2015, a statistically significant increase of 53,000 from 241,000 in the year ending June 2014 continuing the upward trend since March 2013. Of these, 64% (187,000) had a definite job to go to.
• 162,000 of those coming for work related reasons were from the EU. Of those coming with a definite job, 101,000 were EU citizens, a statistically significant increase of 22,000 on the year ending June 2014. A further 54,000 of those coming for a definite job were non-EU citizens, also a statistically significant increase (of 11,000) compared to YE June 2014 estimates.
• 50,000 Romanian and Bulgarian (EU2) citizens immigrated to the UK in YE June 2015, a statistically significant increase of 19,000 from year ending June 2014. Of the 50,000 EU2 citizens who came to the UK, 42,000 (84%) of them came for work related reasons.
• Latest employment statistics show estimated employment of EU nationals (excluding British) living in the UK was 2.0 million in July to September 2015, 324,000 higher than the same quarter last year. Non-EU nationals in employment remained broadly similar at 1.2 million, and the total number of British nationals in employment increased by 122,000 to 28.1 million. Therefore, three quarters of the growth in employment over the last year was accounted for by foreign nationals. (These growth figures represent the NET change in the number of people in employment, not the proportion of new jobs that have been filled by non-UK workers.)
• In the year ending Sep 2015, total work-related visas granted (non-EU nationals, main applicants) rose by 6% to 122,909 including a 4,105 (8%) increase to 54,174 for skilled work (Tier 2) visas.
• There were 862,000 National Insurance number (NINo) registrations to adult overseas nationals in year ending September 2015, an increase of 194,000 (29%) on the previous year.
• Long-term immigration for study increased from 175,000 to 192,000 in year ending June 2015 (not statistically significant). Over the same period, visa applications to study at a UK university (nonEU, main applicants) increased (+0.2%) to 167,425.
• There were 29,024 asylum applications (main applicants) in year ending September 2015, an increase of 19% compared with the previous 12 months (24,324). The largest number of applications for asylum came from nationals of Eritrea (3,726), followed by Sudan (2,842), Iran (2,407) and Syria (2,402). Grant rates vary between nationalities; for example, at initial decision, the grant rate for nationals of Sudan was 84%, compared with 21% for Pakistani nationals.

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage told Breitbart London: “These record high figures represent a continuation of the government’s complete failure to control immigration. David Cameron’s “tens of thousands” pledge is now in tatters. 

“It is clear that only by voting to Leave the European Union in the forthcoming referendum can we have a system of controlled immigration at sensible levels.

“Just how can this or any government plan effectively for the future with our population rising so quickly and with open borders meaning we have no control over who can and can’t come to Britain each year? A complete open door to the whole of the EU is madness.”

UKIP Migration Spokesman Steven Woolfe MEP said: “In yesterday’s autumn statement, the Government blew through its own welfare cap when it U-turned on tax credits. Today, with new net migration numbers as high as ever, its promise to control immigration and bring net migration below the 100,000 no longer has any credibility.

“Instead of challenging the government palpable failure Labour’s Shadow Chancellor prefers cheap stunts by holding up a copy of Mao’s Red Book when the Red Book here should be referencing is the Treasury’s Budget 2015 Red book. 

“Unlike the Labour Party, UKIP judges the performance of the government by the rules that it sets for itself. On migration, the government’s attitude is completely contradictory. While we welcome the fact that it finally accepts that controlling migration is unequivocally central developing a sustainable economy, the government refuses to put Britain’s EU free movement of people obligations at the heart of its so-called ‘renegotiation strategy’. In fact while we remain inside the EU, we cannot control migration.

“The government has failed to control net migration, it has failed to control its own welfare cap, it is doomed to fail on controlling welfare benefits in its EU negotiations. On immigration the government is a long time failure and cannot be trusted to manage our borders or policies.”