This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35658731
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Annual UK net migration down slightly at 323,000 | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Estimated net migration to the UK was 323,000 in the year to September 2015, figures published by the Office for National Statistics show. | Estimated net migration to the UK was 323,000 in the year to September 2015, figures published by the Office for National Statistics show. |
| That represents an increase of 31,000 on the same period in 2014/15 - but is down slightly on the record figure of 336,000 for the year to June 2015. | That represents an increase of 31,000 on the same period in 2014/15 - but is down slightly on the record figure of 336,000 for the year to June 2015. |
| The figures show 165,000 EU citizens came to the UK for work reasons. | The figures show 165,000 EU citizens came to the UK for work reasons. |
| Net migration is the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving. | Net migration is the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving. |
| Prime Minister David Cameron remains committed to getting net migration below 100,000 by the next election in 2020. | |
| Immigration is set to be a major issue in the UK's referendum on whether to remain in the EU. | |
| Employment growth | |
| Mr Cameron has secured changes to benefit entitlements he says will reduce the factors attracting EU citizens to work in the UK but his opponents say they will make no difference. | |
| UKIP Leader Nigel Farage: "As I've said for years, we cannot control immigration into Britain while we remain inside the EU. The government pledge to reduce net migration to tens of thousands continues to be laughable. | |
| "I am pleased that there are now lots of voices agreeing with me, that we must leave the European Union to control our borders." | |
| Latest employment statistics from the Labour Force Survey show estimated employment of EU nationals - excluding British citizens - living in the UK was 2 million in October to December 2015, 215,000 higher than the same quarter last year. | |
| Non-EU foreign nationals in employment increased by 38,000 to 1.2 million over the same year and the total number of British nationals in employment increased by 278,000 to 28.3 million. | |
| Therefore, nearly half of the growth in employment over the last year was accounted for by foreign nationals. | |
| Of the 165,000 EU citizens who came to the UK for work-related reasons 96,000, or 58%, had a definite job to go to and 69,000, or 42%, came looking for work, the latest ONS figures show. | |
| The figures show 45,000 Bulgarians and Romanians came to the UK for work reasons, an increase of 17,000 on the year to September 2014. About two thirds of them had a definite job to go to. |