the latest numbers from the ONS show increasing net migration to the UK - it has to stop.

Net migration into the UK rose by 50% to 318,000 last year, new figures show.

Net migration to UK reaches 318,000 - BBC News

Net migration to the UK was 318,000 in the year ending December 2014, according to the latest provisional estimates - ONS

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said this was a "statistically significant" rise of more than 109,000 compared with the previous year.

There were increases in both EU and non-EU migration, with the total figure close to 2005's all-time high.

- 45% non EU citizens
- 42% EU citizens (excluding Brits)
- 13% British citizens

Those figures are staggering. The 13% British Citizens, are those Brits permanently returning to the UK ?

It would be interesting to see the break down on the non EU migrants. If 13% of the total are returning Brits maybe 8% of those are returning with non EU spouses or fiancés (just a guess!) which means the balance of non EU migrants (40%) are students and Tier workers?

the breakdown is in the link

Why are people immigrating to the UK?

The most common reason for migrating to the UK is work. This has been the case historically, with the exception of 2009 to 2012, when formal study was the most common main reason for migration.

In the year ending December 2014, a total of 284,000 immigrated for work-related reasons. This is a statistically significant increase from the previous year when 214,000 people immigrated for work-related reasons. Of those immigrating for work-related reasons in the year ending December 2014, 63% (178,000) came with a definite job to go to and 37% (106,000) came to look for work.

There were statistically significant increases in immigration for work amongst EU citizens and non-EU citizens. Provisional estimates from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show that 58% (159,000) of those immigrating for work-related reasons were EU citizens (excluding British citizens) which was a statistically significant increase from 125,000 the previous year. 25% (68,000) were non-EU citizens, which was a statistically significant increase from 44,000 the previous year. The majority of other sources2 also show that immigration for work has increased over the last year for both EU and non-EU citizens.

The second most common reason for immigrating to the UK was formal study. In the year ending December 2014, a total of 193,000 people immigrated to the UK for formal study. Provisional estimates from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show that the majority (135,000 or 72%) were non-EU citizens while 48,000 (26%) were EU citizens (excluding British citizens).

In the year ending December 2014, a total of 91,000 people arrived in the UK to accompany/join others. This was a statistically significant increase from 71,000 the previous year. Provisional estimates from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show that the majority (52,000 or 59%) were non-EU citizens while 25,000 (28%) were EU citizens (excluding British citizens).

My math is not good but maybe 16% are non EU spouses or dependents of UKC's.

The combined number of persons coming to the UK for work and study equals 74% of the total.

Take a city with an approximate equivalent population of 2014 net migration figures, for example Cardiff.

Cardiff has...

7 NHS hospitals and one private hospital.
3 Universities.
2 Further education colleges
20 Secondary schools + independent schools
98 State primary schools + independent schools

Seems logical to me that in just ONE YEAR we would have had to build the equivalent number of facilities to accommodate this increase in population to maintain some sort of status quo.

Then there's the housing, the transport, social services etc.etc.

Now if it was 'If we build it they will come', that wouldn't be so bad.

Instead we have the opposite, 'They will come and then we'll build it ,perhaps if we can find the money. Until then everybody squeeze in.'

Are you talking about the marbles in a jar theory?

If you are going to go with that, you need a second jar for the tax dollars contributed by migrant workers.

And then you need to speak to the over-seer of that jar.

I'm talking about total mismanagement of immigration by the over-seer of the said jar. Have the infrastructure in place first, or at least planned as the second jar grows.

Just can't see this rise coming from the Tier workers. Not easy for students now either if their aim was to get to the UK and then get UK citizenship.

Of the enter the UK to work visas:
Tier 2 General had lots of changes from 2010: Maximum stay 6 years: must earn 35k from 2016 to have ILR after 5 years; must now earn the salary level set by the UKVI to get a visa: limited to just 20,700 maximum visas per year: the standand has risen to get a visa so that now only half that nuumber are getting that visa a year: That's a massive drop in numbers for this visa.

Tier 2 ICT visa. Since 2010 this visa no longer leads to UK citizenship; now has a maximum stay; visa standards set higher. ie no more using this visa to work as a waitor.

Tier 1 Investor is rising (already risen) to 2 million pounds.
The Tier 1 Entrepreneur needs 200k and are getting much harder to get.
Tier 1 General visa a very popular route that closed in 2010 and their extensions ended this April to stop those who never moved to the UK but keep extending this visa.

Students
Since 2010:
Undergradautes can't bring all their dependants now.
Many have had their work hours reduced from 20 hours a week to just 10 hours or no working at all.
Over 800(?) bogus colleges have been shut.
Those at the other colleges can't bring their dependants even if they are on a masters or PhD.
Now need to pass an English test for a student visa.
Those that used deception to pass their English test getting deported and banned.
Students now must show progession or no further visas.
The 2 year Tier 1 PSW work visa for those students that couldn't find any firm to sponsor them, closed in 2010.
These last two changes now mean that there is no more using student visas and a PSW visa to make 10 years legal stay to get ILR.
The 2010 raising of the Tier 2 General visa level to graduate type jobs only.


Family visas always used to be one of the highest numbers from non-EU immigration.

Yes but how many have left? We're those figures included too? It's not a one way street...

Indeed. Over 60% of the number is accounted for by students. And as formula has pointed out, it is now very difficult to stay beyond the end of studies. Another 13% are British citizens who largely will have left at some prior point.

Edit: I see the OP mixes net and non-net figures. So students make up 30%, not 60% of the total immigrants. I don't see anything that details the number of students returning after the end of their studies.

from the BBC report in the first OP extracted from the ONS report

"However, the scale of the challenge facing ministers in reducing levels of legal immigration was highlighted again by a net migration rise the size of the population of Coventry.

The figures measure the difference between the numbers of people moving the UK for a year or more and those leaving the UK for a year or more.

They reveal:
641,000 people moved to the UK over the period, with 323,000 going the other way 284,000 people immigrated for work, a 70,000 increase

The number of Romanian and Bulgarians moving to the UK doubled to 46,000 in 2014

Employment of non-British EU nationals in the UK in January to March 2015 was 283,000 higher than the previous year"

Better stay put then.