Net annual immigration rises to 212,000
There has been a 38 per cent increase in net flow of long-term migrants to 212,000 in the year ending September 2013, an increase from the 154,000 seen in the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
532,000 people immigrated to the UK in the year ended September 2013, a slight increase from the 497,000 in the previous year. 320,000 people left the UK, marginally down from 2012s 343,000.
There was a statistically significant increase in immigration from Romania and Bulgaria to 24,000 from 9,000 in the previous year. 70 per cent of those who came to the UK arrived for work and 30 per cent for came to study.
Asylum applications rose eight per cent to 23,507 but were well below the 2002 level of 84,132. The increase in 2013 was particularly driven by rises from Syria and Eritrea.
Immigration of non-EU citizens saw a marked fall to 244,000 in the year ending September 2013 from 269,000 the previous year.
The figures come one day after science minister David Willetts said the UK's immigration policy had been bad for the country's PR and was putting off students from coming to to the UK.
The number of students who came to the UK from India had fallen 38 per cent by 2011 and 2012.