Record Number Of EU Immigrants Coming To UK

A record number of EU immigrants came to the UK in 2014, figures show, delivering a significant blow to David Cameron's pledge to reduce net migration.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed 268,000 EU citizens came to the country last year - the highest ever number.

It has helped boost the net migration figure for 2014 to a record 318,000 - an increase of 109,000 (52%) on 2013.

This is more than 200,000 above the Prime Minister's promised "tens of thousands" target. It is the highest net migration figure for a calendar year since the International Passenger Survey began in 1970.

The disclosure that the number of EU migrants coming to the country is at an all time high will put significant pressure on Mr Cameron as he looks to renegotiate Britain's deal with the EU to help stem the flow of immigrants to the UK.

Around 45% of immigrants living here are from the EU.

Figures also released by the ONS today showed that more than half of the 576,000 jobs created in the country last year went to migrants - 49% to UK nationals.

It comes as the Prime Minister announces a raft of measures to clampdown on illegal immigrants, including seizing the wages of those living here illegally and deporting people before their appeal is heard and tagging those due for deportation.

They will be part of the Immigration Bill to be set out in the Queen's Speech next week.

Mr Cameron is using one of his first major speeches since the election today to reaffirm his ambition to bring net migration below 100,000.

He will say: "A strong country isn't one that pulls up the drawbridge … it is one that controls immigration.

"Because if you have uncontrolled immigration, you have uncontrolled pressure on public services.

"And that is a basic issue of fairness.

"Uncontrolled immigration can damage our labour market and push down wages. It means too many people entering the UK legally but staying illegally.

"The British people want these things sorted."

However, these measures will have no impact on the net migration figures because the Government freely admits it does not know how many people are living in the UK illegally.

Speaking to Sky News Home Secretary Theresa May said there were a "significant" number of illegal immigrants in the country but she was unable to give a figure.

Mrs May said: "No official figures have ever been put on illegal immigrants but obviously we are enhancing our ability through exit checks to identify those who have left the country and therefore identify overstayers. We are looking at significant numbers."

She added: "We want to extend the (deportation rules) so that people who have no right to be here but are able to appeal have to leave the country first so they can be deported and then appeal from outside the country."

The most recent figures on the number of illegal immigrants comes from a study commissioned by London Mayor Boris Johnson when he was considering an amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The report by the London School of Economics estimated there were between 400,000 and 900,000 people living in Britain illegally.

Steve Ballinger, from the think tank British Future, told Sky News the measures outlined by Mr Cameron would not bring down the migration numbers.

He said: "If you've promised to get the net migration system down most of those people are here legally so that isn't going to have a huge impact.

"If he has got a plan to get net migration down, he should come out and say what it is."