David Hanson, Labour’s Shadow Immigration Minister, responding to today’s migration statistics, said:

“David Cameron and Theresa May are failing to meet their own target. They promised “no ifs, no buts” that they would meet their target of net migration in the tens of thousands by the election. Instead net migration is going up and it’s higher this year than twelve months ago.

“These figures expose the massive gap between the rhetoric and the reality of Tory immigration policy. Theresa May has boasted repeatedly that net migration was falling and her target would be met. Now those hollow claims have been completely exposed.

“The previous drop in net migration was due to more British people leaving and fewer British people coming home.

“The latest figures also show the number of people coming to study in Britain has dropped - despite the fact that they bring billions into our Universities, colleges and economy. At the same time the number of people coming to work has gone up by 30,000.

“Theresa May’s sole focus on net migration has also meant the Government are failing badly on illegal immigration, which is a major concern to the public and is getting worse and worse with fewer people being stopped at the border, absconds up and deportations down.

“Immigration needs to be controlled, but we must recognise there is immigration that works for Britain and immigration that doesn’t. That is why Labour would do more to cut illegal immigration and more to support universities recruiting international students who contribute to our economy.”

Ends