UK the most popular EU country for migrants

Recently released statistics show that the UK is the most popular European Union destination for migrants, with over half a million arriving during 2010.

The Eurostat report will have come as no surprise to Londoners and residents in many cities and towns in the northern parts of England, as their communities have borne the brunt of unchecked immigration for some years. Media reports of general discontent based on overcrowded health services, lack of housing capacity and the effect on schools make regular reading nowadays.

The 591,000 migrants who came to the UK in 2010, the last year for which figures are available at present, is more than double the number of those who arrived in France. Spain’s immigrant numbers totalled 465,000, with Italy taking 458,900 and Germany 404,100.

The top four EU countries’ immigration numbers made up 24 per cent of the citizenships gained in all the EU member states, with France alone granting 143,000 citizenships in 2010. Emigration from the UK was also high, totalling 339,400.

Campaign Group Migration Watchdog’s chairman, Sir Andrew Green, said the UK’s top-of-the-table position was entirely due to the immigration policies of the former Labour Government, adding that the result was no surprise due to the obvious chaos in the system. The figures follow warnings from Germany and the UK of an influx of economic migrants from Bulgaria and Romania in 2014, when the two countries become full EU members and temporary restrictions on low-skilled immigration from the two states come to an end.