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U.K. receives record 591,000 immigrants

Date: November 15, 2007

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By Mark Deen

The British government said a record 591,000 immigrants arrived last year, with more than two-thirds coming from outside the European Union, adding to pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to slow the inflow.

The gain followed an influx of 586,000 immigrants in 2005, which was also a record, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement in London today. About 96,000 of those came from eight nations including Poland that joined the EU in 2004.

The figures add to concern that the government is allowing too many foreigners to work in the U.K. About 1.13 million of the 2.17 million jobs created since Brown's Labour Party took office in 1997 were filled by overseas nationals while the number of people on incapacity benefits was little changed at 2.6 million.

"This gives the lie to claims that nothing effective can be done about immigration because of our membership of the EU,'' said Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch, an anti- immigration lobby group. The arrivals "could and should be subject to much tighter controls.''

Immigration minister Liam Byrne said the government has been making headway in curbing the number of people who claim political asylum and deporting those who don't belong. A new points-based system aimed at attracting skilled workers comes into effect early next year.

Government View

"We're seeing some of those reforms bear fruit,'' Byrne said in a debate in Parliament today. "Where it is possible to impose control over accession countries we will do that.''

Opposition parties say Brown's government is allowing in too many migrants. Immigration tops the list of U.K. voter concerns, and 72 percent of people surveyed by Ipsos Mori are dissatisfied with the government's handling of the issue.

"Immigration is still running at unsustainably high levels,'' Damian Green, who speaks for the Conservative Party on immigration issues, said in a statement. "This is the direct result of the government's 'open door' approach, which has totally failed to consider the impact of immigration on public services, housing and community cohesion.''

A record number of Britons are moving abroad. About 400,000 residents left the U.K. last year, more than half of whom were British citizens, the statistics office said. Of these most went to Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain or the U.S.

The net inflow of 191,000 people last year compared with 204,000 in 2005 and a record 244,000 in 2004, when Britain allowed people from 10 nations that joined the bloc that year to work without restriction.

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