London: A total of 591,000 immigrants arrived in Britain in 2006 as against 400,000 who emigrated from the country, according to official figures. As per figures released by the Office of National Statistics(ONS) today, 86 per cent of the new arrivals were non-British citizens.
It said the number of Britons leaving the UK was the highest in 2006 since the ONS began its current method of estimating migrants in 1991. The figures represent the first statistics release on immigration since the government apologised for underestimating foreign workers coming to Britain over the last decade by 300,000.
The local government association, representing more than 400 local councils, has called for an annual 250 million pound contingency fund to help areas facing high rates of migration. The association wants a fresh approach to calculating numbers saying official estimates like today s publication significantly underestimates the number of migrants in many areas.
The ONS forecast that on current trends Britain s population will rise to 65 million by 2016 from 60.6 million in 2006.
