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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Record number take UK citizenship | Record number take UK citizenship |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A record 164,635 people were granted British citizenship last year, government figures have shown. | A record 164,635 people were granted British citizenship last year, government figures have shown. |
| Separate Home Office figures showed the number of asylum applications in the first three months of 2008, 6,595, rose 16% on the same period last year. | |
| There has been another drop in the numbers of migrants registering their arrival from eastern Europe. | There has been another drop in the numbers of migrants registering their arrival from eastern Europe. |
| In the 2008 first quarter, 45,000 registered to work, down 7,000 on the same period last year. | In the 2008 first quarter, 45,000 registered to work, down 7,000 on the same period last year. |
| Asylum removals | |
| The number of asylum applications is rising after an record low was reported last year, but the 2008 figure is still the second lowest since 1993/94. | The number of asylum applications is rising after an record low was reported last year, but the 2008 figure is still the second lowest since 1993/94. |
| In 2007-8 most of those seeking asylum were from Afghanistan, Iraq, Zimbabwe and China. | |
| The number of failed asylum seekers deported from January to March was down 13%, to 2,805. | The number of failed asylum seekers deported from January to March was down 13%, to 2,805. |
| The total number of people removed - including foreign criminals - was up 12% to 16,760. | The total number of people removed - including foreign criminals - was up 12% to 16,760. |
| Figures showed 845,000 people whose countries joined the EU in 2004 applied between May that year and the end of March 2008 to work in Britain. Of those, more than half a million were from Poland. | |
| The nations that joined the EU in May 2004 are Poland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. | |
| Benefit pay-outs | |
| There were also 24,850 applications for income-related benefits such as jobseekers allowance and income support made by migrants from these countries, of which 5,818 were allowed to proceed. | |
| A further 102,029 of them received child benefit pay-outs, and another 58,000 tax credits. | |
| There were a further 945 applications for worker cards from Romanians and Bulgarians, of which 360 were approved, and 7,145 applications for worker-registration certificates, of which 5,900 were granted. | |
| Of those becoming citizens, 31% held nationality from African countries and 22% from Asian countries. | |
| Of those leaving Britain last year, Australia was the most popular destination. Most emigrants intended to leave the UK for more than four years. |