London: People from the Indian
sub-continent were given the highest number of settlement
grants in UK, according to new official figures released
today, amid the David Cameron government`s efforts to reduce
immigration.
The coalition government`s objective is to reduce
migration from India and other countries outside the European
Union to `tens of thousands` rather than `hundreds of
thousands`.
The Office of National Statistics figures show that
the net migration rose last year to 196,000, which was up by
33,000 from the number in 2008.
Number of people coming to the UK dropped by 4 per
cent, but those leaving dropped by 13 per cent.
Migrants from the Indian sub-continent made up the
largest proportion of settlement grants, 34 per cent.
Of the rest, 25 per cent were from Africa and 21 per
cent from elsewhere in Asia.
The figures released for 2008 and 2009, when the
Labour government was in power, are likely to add to the
coalition government`s moves to introduce new restrictions for
migrants from India and other countries outside the EU.
However, Damian Green, Immigration Minister, who
visited India this week, said: "We intend to reduce net
migration to the UK from the hundreds of thousands to tens of
thousands each year. But Britain will continue to welcome the
talented, the skilled and the entrepreneurial as we have
always done."
He added: "India has traditionally been a rich source
of such people. A migration system that supports such ties is
one that will help underpin the stronger, wider, deeper
relationship we want to build."
During 2009, the number of visas issued to students
went up by 35 per cent to 362,015, while the number of
applications for asylum, excluding dependants, was 29 per cent
down on the same quarter in 2009.
Two-thirds of this fall was due to a drop in
applications from Zimbabwe, from 1,560 to 405.
PTI
