UK net migration rises by 50% to 318,000 people in 2014
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Official figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that UK net migration rose by 109,000 people in 2014, up by 50% on 2013.
The number is close to the all-time high which was reached in 2005 and comes as the Conservatives continue to claim that they can reduce net migration to tens of thousands of people, as opposed to hundreds of thousands.
UK net migration is the difference between the amounts of people entering the UK compared to those leaving. In 2014 a total of 641,000 people moved to the UK while only 323,000 left the UK.
Of those arriving, 284,000 came to the UK seeking work.
The government continues to repeat its pledge that the aim is to get net migration down to the tens of thousands, but such a shift looks unlikely in the next few years at least.
Various policies are being discussed, which include withholding pay for those working in the UK, but are ineligible to do so – which will also become a criminal offence under the Conservatives.
The purpose of the various propositions, as stated by the Prime Minister David Cameron is to “make Britain a less attractive place to come and work illegally”.