London : Indians are the second-largest group of migrants coming to the UK after Chinese, according to latest figures. In 2013, 46,000 Chinese migrants entered Britain for study and work reasons followed by 33,000 Indians. India is tied at the second place along with Spanish migrants from within the European Union, also at 33,000, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) International Passenger Survey (INS).
Around 29,000 migrants came from Australia, 27,000 from Poland, 22,000 from France and 20,000 from the US. Three-quarters of immigrants to the UK are people migrating to work or study, the ONS found as part of a research on long-term international immigration.
On the reverse side, most British expats who had emigrated out of the country are also coming back to the UK for work-related reasons, with as many as 46,000 doing so last year. “Generally, immigration of British citizens remains relatively stable, both in terms of the overall level and the main reasons for immigrating,” the ONS noted.
The flow of immigrants into Britain is set to remain an emotive issue in the UK as Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative-led government struggles to control the figures. He had reiterated his determination to not “cave in” on tough immigration targets as part of a speech when ONS figures revealed that net migration rose by 50 per cent to 3,18,000 last year.
Aditi Khanna
