Net migration to UK hits record 336000, official figures show

New official figures show the migration to Britain has reached a new record high with a jump of 32 percent on the figure for the previous year.

There was net migration to Britain of 336,000 in the year to June, according to the figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

“Net migration has increased over the last year for both EU and non-EU nationals, with the majority of people migrating to the UK coming for work or study,” said Jay Lindop, head of population statistics at ONS.

Net migration of EU citizens was up over 30 percent compared to the last year period. People arriving from countries outside the EU are still larger at 22 percent.

Immigration is one of Britain’s most sensitive political issues. Prime Minister David Cameron has, time and again, vowed to curb the immigration with concerns over border control which is being seen a key to support for leaving the European Union ahead of a referendum on membership due next year.

The concerns also remain high in the UK Independence Party, which campaigns for Britain to leave the EU so that it can reduce immigration. The party says the figures are an argument in favor of voting for Britain to leave the 28-member bloc in the 2017 referendum.

“These record high figures represent a continuation of the government’s complete failure to control immigration,” said UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Britain leaving the EU has been a topic of debate among Britons with almost every day opinion polls on the issue. Although the support for ‘Brexit’ has seen an upward trend but most polls indicate that a majority of people are still in favor for staying within the bloc.