Post by Editor on Feb 28, 2013 15:52:35 GMT
Immigration to Britain falls by 34% in a year after major crackdown on routes where 'abuse was rife'
Net migration in year to June 2012 was 163,000, down from 247,000 in 2011
Immigration minister Mark Harper says tough reforms are working
David Cameron and Theresa May want to cut immigration to less than 100,000 by 2015
By MATT CHORLEY, MAILONLINE POLITICAL EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 14:13, 28 February 2013 | UPDATED: 14:24, 28 February 2013
David Cameron's aim of slashing the number of people coming to Britain recovered a major boost today, with new figures showing net immigration fell by a third in just a year.
The Prime Minister and Home Secretary Theresa May want to cut net migration from non-EU countries to less than 100,000 before next election in 2015.
New figures show the net flow of migrants to the UK in the year to June 2012 was 163,000, down 34 per cent from 247,000 in the previous year.
Home Secretary Theresa May and Prime Minister David Cameron want to reduce net migration from non-EU countries to less than 100,000 before next election in 2015
The decline was driven by a drop in the number of immigrants coming to Britain, which fell from 589,000 to 515,000, while the number of migrants leaving the country rose from 342,000 to 352,000, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
There was a ‘significant’ decrease in the number of immigrants arriving from New Commonwealth countries, which includes African countries such as Botswana, Kenya and Malawi and Indian subcontinent countries such as Bangladesh, India and stan.
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Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: ‘Our tough reforms are having an impact in all the right places - we have tightened the routes where abuse was rife and overall numbers are down as a result.
‘But sponsored student visa applications for our world-class university sector are up and the numbers of skilled people being sponsored by UK employers in sectors such as IT and science have also increased.
‘We will continue to work hard to bring net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament and to create a selective immigration system that works in our national interest.’
A net immigration fell from 247,000 in the year to June 2011 to 163,000 in the year to June 2012, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said
Some 117,000 immigrants from New Commonwealth countries arrived in the UK in the year to June, down 30 per cent or 51,000 from 168,000 in the previous year.
A total of 62,000 immigrants arrived from countries which joined the EU in 2004, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania, down 27% or 24,000 from the previous year.
The most common reason given for migrating to Britain remains study, the ONS said, with 197,000 foreign students arriving in the period, down 17% or 42,000 from 239,000 in the previous year.
Immigration minister Mark Harper hailed the figures as proof tough reforms were working
The number of visas issued fell 10% or 57,106 to 507,701 in the year ending December 2012 - the lowest 12-monthly total since comparable data was first published in 2005.
Within the figures, this included 209,804 visas issued for the purpose of study, a fall of 20%.
And 173,000 people migrated to the UK for work, which was down 10% from 194,000 in the previous year.
The figures come as the Government toughens its stance on immigration with a range of new measures as it aims to bring down net migration to the tens of thousands.
UK Border Agency officials will conduct interviews with more than 100,000 student visa applicants from ‘high-risk’ countries outside the EU to crack down on bogus students.
And a ‘genuine entrepreneur’ test has been introduced to tackle the rising number of foreign nationals attempting to enter Britain by fudging their bank accounts and setting up fake businesses.
Sponsored visa applications rose 3 per cent in the university sector, but fell 62 per cent, 69 per cent and 14 per cent for further education, English language schools and independent schools respectively.
Labour's Chris Bryant, the shadow immigration minister, said: 'Net migration is falling but public concern is rising. Labour supports strong controls to bring immigration down.
'But these figures demonstrate that the Government is not focussing on the kind of immigration that worries people the most.
'The Government is doing nothing to tackle illegal immigration. The data today shows another fall in deporting people who have broken the rules and another reduction in people being stopped at the border.
'And they are not doing enough to tackle the impact of migration on jobs and housing. Until the Government addresses what most concerns people, anxiety will continue to grow.'
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2285912/Net-immigration-Britain-falls-year-crackdown-routes-abuse-rife.html#ixzz2MD3CdsoX
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Net migration in year to June 2012 was 163,000, down from 247,000 in 2011
Immigration minister Mark Harper says tough reforms are working
David Cameron and Theresa May want to cut immigration to less than 100,000 by 2015
By MATT CHORLEY, MAILONLINE POLITICAL EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 14:13, 28 February 2013 | UPDATED: 14:24, 28 February 2013
David Cameron's aim of slashing the number of people coming to Britain recovered a major boost today, with new figures showing net immigration fell by a third in just a year.
The Prime Minister and Home Secretary Theresa May want to cut net migration from non-EU countries to less than 100,000 before next election in 2015.
New figures show the net flow of migrants to the UK in the year to June 2012 was 163,000, down 34 per cent from 247,000 in the previous year.
Home Secretary Theresa May and Prime Minister David Cameron want to reduce net migration from non-EU countries to less than 100,000 before next election in 2015
The decline was driven by a drop in the number of immigrants coming to Britain, which fell from 589,000 to 515,000, while the number of migrants leaving the country rose from 342,000 to 352,000, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
There was a ‘significant’ decrease in the number of immigrants arriving from New Commonwealth countries, which includes African countries such as Botswana, Kenya and Malawi and Indian subcontinent countries such as Bangladesh, India and stan.
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Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: ‘Our tough reforms are having an impact in all the right places - we have tightened the routes where abuse was rife and overall numbers are down as a result.
‘But sponsored student visa applications for our world-class university sector are up and the numbers of skilled people being sponsored by UK employers in sectors such as IT and science have also increased.
‘We will continue to work hard to bring net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament and to create a selective immigration system that works in our national interest.’
A net immigration fell from 247,000 in the year to June 2011 to 163,000 in the year to June 2012, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said
Some 117,000 immigrants from New Commonwealth countries arrived in the UK in the year to June, down 30 per cent or 51,000 from 168,000 in the previous year.
A total of 62,000 immigrants arrived from countries which joined the EU in 2004, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania, down 27% or 24,000 from the previous year.
The most common reason given for migrating to Britain remains study, the ONS said, with 197,000 foreign students arriving in the period, down 17% or 42,000 from 239,000 in the previous year.
Immigration minister Mark Harper hailed the figures as proof tough reforms were working
The number of visas issued fell 10% or 57,106 to 507,701 in the year ending December 2012 - the lowest 12-monthly total since comparable data was first published in 2005.
Within the figures, this included 209,804 visas issued for the purpose of study, a fall of 20%.
And 173,000 people migrated to the UK for work, which was down 10% from 194,000 in the previous year.
The figures come as the Government toughens its stance on immigration with a range of new measures as it aims to bring down net migration to the tens of thousands.
UK Border Agency officials will conduct interviews with more than 100,000 student visa applicants from ‘high-risk’ countries outside the EU to crack down on bogus students.
And a ‘genuine entrepreneur’ test has been introduced to tackle the rising number of foreign nationals attempting to enter Britain by fudging their bank accounts and setting up fake businesses.
Sponsored visa applications rose 3 per cent in the university sector, but fell 62 per cent, 69 per cent and 14 per cent for further education, English language schools and independent schools respectively.
Labour's Chris Bryant, the shadow immigration minister, said: 'Net migration is falling but public concern is rising. Labour supports strong controls to bring immigration down.
'But these figures demonstrate that the Government is not focussing on the kind of immigration that worries people the most.
'The Government is doing nothing to tackle illegal immigration. The data today shows another fall in deporting people who have broken the rules and another reduction in people being stopped at the border.
'And they are not doing enough to tackle the impact of migration on jobs and housing. Until the Government addresses what most concerns people, anxiety will continue to grow.'
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2285912/Net-immigration-Britain-falls-year-crackdown-routes-abuse-rife.html#ixzz2MD3CdsoX
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