London: Indians accounted for the largest number of the work permits granted in the United Kingdom in 2002, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has claimed.

Of the total of 129,041 work permits issued during the year, the highest since the Second World War, Indians particularly doctors and Information Technology specialists accounted for 21 per cent. In the previous year 115,800 such permits were issued.

This is reflected in the shift of ethnic origin over the past eight years from one in four workers being from US in 1995 to the majority (21 per cent) now coming from India.

The top occupation group was the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors. According to the study, 78 per cent of the computer programmer applications were granted to those coming from India. The ONS expects these figures to rise again in 2003.

PTI