RECORD MIGRANT FIGURES FUEL NEW TORY ROW

925,000 OUT OF TOTAL 1,163,000 COMING TO BRITAIN WERE FROM OUTSIDE THE EU

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RISHI SUNAK faced a growing storm today after immigration to Britain hit a record of nearly 1.2 million last year, according to official figures.

They showed that 925,000 out of the total of 1,163,000 were non-EU nationals after the UK quit the European Union. Once emigration of 557,000 is taken into account, net migration was also at a record high of 606,000 in 2022. With tens of thousands of people crossing the Channel in small boats, the promise by Brexiteers that leaving the EU would allow the country to take back control of its borders appeared to be in tatters. As his Government came under fire from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and some Tory MPs, the Prime Minister told ITV’s This Morning: “Numbers are too high, it’s as simple as that.”

Pressed on whether immigration was out of control, he responded: “No, I think the numbers are just too high.” The figures showed:

⬤ Immigration in 2022 was up 221,000 compared with the previous year’s 942,000, and 772,000 in the year to December 2019, when the Tories won the election.

⬤ The backlog of asylum cases awaiting a decision has hit a record high after rising by 50 per cent in a year.