Immigration and Births to NonBritish Mothers Pushes UK Population to Record High

[Ambiorix]

Immigration and Births to Non-British Mothers Pushes UK Population to Record High

http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2008/08/gates-of-vienna-news-feed-8212008.html#687

The rate of immigration into the UK has soared to record levels with more than 600,000 people arriving last year — more than double the level when Labour came to power. Government statisticians said the nation’s population rose to just under 61million by mid-2007, up by almost two million since 2001.

As well as record immigration, the number of UK residents leaving to settle abroad leaped to 406,000 — also the highest level since records began, leaving net immigration of just under 200,000.

While immigration now accounts for 52 per cent of population growth, officials said the huge number of immigrants in recent years were now driving a dramatic increase in the UK birth rate — which as a result is set to take over as the main driver behind the soaring population within the next year or two.

In some parts of the country well over half of all babies are born to mothers from outside the UK, with the highest figure of 75 per cent found in the London borough of Newham. The rate of growth meant around one million people were being added to the country’s population each year — the equivalent of a city the size of Birmingham — and was consistent with earlier projections predicting a population of 71 million by 2031.

Mr Goodwin said a rise in the birth rate — 84,000 more babies born last year than in 2001 — was also contributing significantly, but migration was again a key factor, accounting for births by foreign born women.

He said the inflow of migrants into Britain was at the “highest recorded” level and added: “It translates into 1,650 people a day coming into the country.”