Tories call for tougher control of immigration

Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said that official figures showed that 2.3 million people have moved here since Labour came to power.

Of these, 1.96 million, or 84 per cent, came from outside Europe, where migration can be controlled, while only 374,000, or 16 per cent, had come from the EU. Mr Grieve said the figures showed that the Government had displayed a "failure to control economic migration from outside the EU" and called for a "fundamental change in approach" that would restrict the numbers arriving from outside Europe. The Tory attack follows comments by the new immigration minister Phil Woolas, who caused a furore at the weekend by suggesting that he wanted to curb migration to prevent Britain's population spiralling to more than 70 million, as official projections have suggested it will if the current rate of arrivals continues.

Amid criticism from some Labour MPs and campaign groups, Mr Woolas - who was also responding to concerns about a lack of jobs for British workers - was accused of backtracking yesterday after appearing to water down his comments in favour of immigration curbs.

Writing in today's Evening Standard, Mr Grieve said the change of tack was leading to confusion about the Government's true stance and said the only answer was firm action, including an annual limit on economic migration from outside Europe.

"For a long time ministers buried their heads in the sand, ignoring the problems that uncontrolled immigration was steadily building up," he said. "Net immigration has quadrupled under Labour - fuelled both by the lack of transitional controls on new EU member states, and a failure to control economic migration from outside the EU.

"We need the kind of fundamental change in approach that cannot be delivered through media spin. We have pledged an annual limit on economic migration to Britain."

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that even in 2006, after the admission of Poland and the other new East European member states, only 32 per cent of 315,000 migrants came from the EU.

By contrast, 215,000, or 68 per cent, came from outside Europe, with some of the biggest numbers from the Indian subcontinent and Africa. Similarly, between 1997 and 2006, 1.96million people have arrived in Britain from outside the EU, while only 374,000 have come to this country from Europe.

Between 1997 and 2007, 1.29 million foreign citizens were granted the right of settlement. Nationals from EU countries do not need permission to reside here permanently. In London, where the overseas workforce has played a significant role in boosting the economy, one in three jobs is held by a foreigner.