Net migration in UK at record high
Damian Green is to announce migration reforms
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Thursday, 24, Nov 2011 01:45
By Neal Wallace
Net migration to Britain rose to a record 252,000 in 2010, according to new figures
The numbers, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show a rise in the number of migrants despite the government's promise to bring the figure down to "tens of thousands".
Fewer people are leaving Britain for work-related reasons, with only 174,000 emigrants - the lowest figure in half a decade - heading overseas last year.
Immigration minister Damian Green told the BBC that the figures proved the government was right to take action to overhaul the UK's immigration system.
He said that the "latest quarterly figures show a decrease in the number of student and work visas issued compared to a year earlier". Mr Green added that he is set announce reforms "to settlement at the family route which will help bring net migration down".
Net migration is the number of people moving to Britain for more than 12 months minus the number of emigrants.
A recent e-petition to discuss preventing the UK's population from reaching 70 million received the required 100,000 signatures to force the issue to be debated in the House of Commons.