Migration fuels biggest surge in population since WW2 baby boom
... as pressure grows on Keir with 1,000 arrivals since he took power
‘Need to be much more selective’
IMMIGRANTS have driven the biggest annual rise in the population since the end of the Second World War, prompting calls for tough new restrictions.
Shock figures yesterday revealed there were 60.9million people living in England and Wales in the year to mid-2023, up 610,000 in a single year – more than the population of Sheffield.
It is the largest numerical increase in 75 years, since a 1.5million surge in 1948, and the fastest rate of population growth in decades.
But the Office for National Statistics said that while the previous record rise was caused by troops returning home as well as the postwar baby boom, growth now is down to mass legal migration.
A total of 1,084,000 people moved here while 462,000 left, putting net migration at 622,000.
Population growth is now expected to slow as a result of measures introduced by the Tories last year to restrict the number of family members that migrants can bring to live with them in the UK.
But Sir Keir Starmer will come under pressure to show how he can curb new arrivals still further after he vowed during the election campaign: ‘Read my lips – I will bring immigration numbers down.’
Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said the actions he had taken as a Tory minister ‘delivered a 48 per cent fall in visa applications compared to June last year, and net migration is on track to halve in the next 12 months’.
He added: ‘This progress is already under threat with Labour scrapping our Rwanda deterrent and ministers openly advocating relaxing EU visa rules.’
Former Cabinet minister Lord Frost said: ‘We can’t continue population increases at anything like these levels.
‘We need to be much more selective about who we take and put much more emphasis on social cohesion for those here already. I doubt Labour will do anything like this.’
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: ‘These are, once again, mind-blowing immigration numbers.’ A Labour source said the Government has committed to cut net migration with new skills plans in sectors with high numbers of overseas workers and tackling employers who exploit the visa system.
MORE than 1,000 small boat migrants have reached Britain since Labour came to power.
The occupants of seven dinghies were brought ashore by UK Border Force vessels in calm conditions on the Channel yesterday.
It is thought between 350 and 00 migrants made it to Britain during the day, on top of 758 confirmed arrivals between July 8 and Sunday. The landmark of 1,000 crossings under the new Government – pushing this year’s total over 1 ,000 – will place extra scrutiny on Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to tackle the crisis.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is establishing a Border Security Command, but Tories say it is almost identical to the existing set-up.