UK PM in trouble over poll promise

London: David Cameron on Thursday came under fire for refusing to ditch his promise to cut net migration to the tens of thousands, as the figure leapt to its highest annual total for four decades, the Daily Mail reported. New figures showed 3,18,000 more people arrived in the UK than left in 2014, three times the target set by the Tories. It is the highest figure recorded in a calendar year, and close to the peak of 3,20,000 in the 12 months to June 2005.

Mr Cameron on Thursday joined police for a raid on the home of illegal immigrants as he promised a fresh crackdown, but the stunt was dismissed as a ‘smokescreen’ to distract attention from the damning figures. The office for national statistics said 641,000 people arrived in the UK last year, a ‘statistically significant increase’ from 5,26,000 in 2013.

It included big rises in both people from the EU — up 67,000 to 2,68,000 — and non-EU citizens, rising by 42,000 to 2,90,000.

However, only 3,23,000 people left the UK in 2014. a figure which has been relatively stable since 2010.

It came as groups of migrants were again pictured targeting lorries in the port of Calais, France today as they try to reach Britain illegally. Speaking at the Home Office on Thursday, Cameron admitted: 'These figures show how much work we have to do. “They show that, more than ever, this country needs a majority Conservative government which really aims to get net migration into the tens of thousands, and that should remain our ambition.”