More than one million foreign nationals allowed to live in UK in a year

More than a million foreign nationals were let in to live in the UK last year for the first time in recorded history, as the Government was accused of breaking its Brexit promises.

Home Office data showed that the number of visas handed to workers, students, family relatives and other foreign nationals rose by 35 per cent to 994,951 in the year to March, up from a pre-pandemic high of 739,936.

A further 15,451 people were granted asylum as the number applying for refuge in the UK rose by nearly 45 per cent to 65,008 – fuelled by record numbers of migrants crossing the Channel on small boats and Afghans fleeing the Taliban.

The data also showed that three-quarters of initial asylum applications are being granted, the highest rate for 30 years, despite the Government’s claims to be cracking down on illegal arrivals and bogus claims.

The total one million-plus figure is the highest since 2005, when modern records began, and could be the largest number since the Second World War, although data is difficult to compare because of the different ways in which it has been collected and compiled.

Red Wall MPs have written to Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, saying the prospect of net immigration - the number arriving minus those emigrating - being higher than at any time in recent history “undeniably undermines” Brexit promises.

Sir John Hayes, chair of the Common Sense Group of MPs, said the number of visas granted was equivalent to one for every one of the 60  people in the UK: “People assumed the Government would get a grip of this when they voted to take back control of our borders. 

“You cannot allow the population from immigration to increase at the pace it is because of the pressure it places on all aspects of British society.”

In the referendum campaign and since, Boris Johnson has promised that Brexit would allow Britain to “take back control of its borders” by ending freedom of movement with the EU.

However, he rejected his predecessor Theresa May’s targets designed to keep net migration below 100,000 a year and instead adopted a significantly more liberalised approach to post-Brexit immigration.

Tough on 'illegal' migration

While tough on “illegal” migration - as illustrated by plans to send Channel migrants on a one-way ticket to Rwanda - he has relaxed rules for foreign skilled migrants and students with sponsored jobs or university places in the UK.

The number of student visas has risen by 14 per cent to 471,802 from 413,350 from predominantly non-EU destinations after the Government relaxed the rules allowing them to work in the UK for up to two years after graduation.

The number of work visas have increased by 50 per cent to 277,069 from 184,608, again fuelled by non-EU migrants seeking employment in the UK.

The implementation of a points-based immigration system has opened up half of all jobs in the UK to foreign workers, by lowering salary and skill thresholds for migrants. Previously, employers also had to prove a British worker could not be recruited to fill a vacancy before looking abroad.

The number of professions that qualify for skilled visas has been significantly expanded to include jobs such as chef, bricklayer, electrician, welder, health and care worker, while the Government also removed caps on most visa routes.

The biggest recipients of work visas were Indians (87,000), Ukraine (21,000), Philippines (16,000), Nigeria (15,000) and USA (11,000). EU citizens, who are now required to have visas to come and stay in the UK, accounted for just six per cent of applications. France topped the table with 5,000.

There has been a sharp decline in EU nationals seeking to live in the UK, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting that net migration to the UK from the EU is negative with 12,000 more people leaving than arriving.

Marked jump in non-EU visas 

Most marked was the jump in “other” visas including Hong Kongers and relatives of EU citizens living in the UK, which nearly trebled from 71,829 to 196,772, a jump of 173 per cent.

This comprised 28,000 visas for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, 87,000 British National Overseas (BNO) visas for Hong Kongers and 52,000 EU Settlement family permits.

Robert McNeil, deputy director of Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, said the crux of the increase was down to the Government’s decision to abandon the commitment by Theresa May and David Cameron’s administrations’ to set net migration targets.

“There is no longer a focus on reducing the overall number of migrants coming to the UK. That is a given within the policy design,” he said.

“What we see as a result is that in order for the government to send a message of control they are largely focusing on the policy to stop boat arrivals or crackdown on asylum.”

However, even on that front, the number of asylum applications have risen by 44.9 per cent to 65,008 from 44,484.

The proportion of asylum seekers receiving a positive decision on their application reached 75 per cent in the year ending March 2022, the highest since 82 per cent in 1990.

The number of people waiting for a decision on their asylum claim in the UK has also surged by more than 300 per cent in four years.

A total of 109,735 asylum seekers were awaiting a decision at the end of March 2022, more than double the number two years before and up from 27,256 – a 303 per cent rise - in March 2018.

The soaring numbers of asylum applications follows record numbers of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats - with 9,327 arriving this year,  almost triple the number that had arrived by this time last year.

Nine in ten of those who crossed in the 12 months to March were men, Home Office statistics revealed. The data also show that 76 per cent of asylum claims from young men aged 18 to 29 received positive decisions - despite Ms Patel claiming that 70 per cent of all Channel migrants were “economic migrants”.

Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said the potential one million visa arrivals "can only add to strains on housing and services, put further pressure on schools and the NHS and worsen our congestion woes.

"Meanwhile, illegal immigration in boats is running at three times the rate of last year’s record inflow. No wonder those who voted for the government believing immigration would be controlled and reduced feel betrayed."

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “It is desperately worrying to see just how sharply the numbers of people waiting for a decision on their asylum application has risen over the past few years. 

"This leaves thousands of vulnerable men, women and children trapped in limbo, adults banned from working, living hand to mouth on less than £6 a day, and left not knowing what their future holds. This is simply not good enough."

A Home Office spokesman said the Government had delivered on its promise to take back control of immigration, bringing in skilled workers including doctors and nurses and helping thousands of refugees through "safe and legal" routes.