"PM David Cameron's immigration pledge left in tatters"

[dutchman]

David Cameron's flagship pledge to cut immigration was in tatters today after dramatic new figures showed a net influx of 212,000 migrants into Britain in just 12 months.



The new total, driven by a sharp increase in those arriving from other EU countries, is more than double the Prime Minister’s target of cutting net migration to below 100,000 by the next election.

The figure is also close to the record levels of immigration seen under Labour and represents a 38 per cent increase on the previous annual tally.

It comes despite a series of controversial government reforms which are designed to curb the flow but which university and business leaders claim are damaging the country’s long-term prospects.

The rise was partly driven by a sharp increase in numbers of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens coming to Britain — a surge of 166 per cent from 9,000 to 24,000 year-on-year.

Campaigners and political opponents called on the Prime Minister to admit defeat as the surprise statistics heaped new pressure on him. Mark Hilton, head of immigration policy at business group London First, said the figures were “game over” for the Government’s immigration target.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: “The Government’s target is holed below the water. When you operate with total open borders to poorer countries in southern and eastern Europe it’s completely pointless to make any estimate of what immigration figures might be because it’s out of our control.”

[rebbonk]

Cameron and this rag-tag government are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike