UK Net Migration Hits 182,000 as Emigration Falls

Net migration into the UK has risen year-on-year for the first time in two years, as 182,000 long-term migrants came to Britain this year, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics found 503,000 people immigrated to the UK in the year ending June 2013, down 14,000 on last year (517,000).

The research also revealed emigration is at its lowest level since 2001.

In the year ending June 2013, 320,000 emigrants left the UK, lower than the 349,000 people who emigrated during the previous year.

The ONS said the fall in emigration is driving an increase in net migration.

The body also found immigration of non-European Union citizens saw a "statistically significant" decrease to 242,000 in the year ending June 2013 from 282,000 the previous year.

The ONS said 1.9 million visitor visas were issued in the year ending September, 2013 - 256,367 more than the previous year.

Cameron Targets Migrants

The figures follow the news that Prime Minister David Cameron wants to make it harder for EU migrants to access the UK's welfare system and tackle "benefit tourism" in Britain.

The Conservative party leader's comments come before EU restrictions on Bulgarian and Romania migrants expire in January, enabling them to freely travel and work in the UK.

Cameron hopes to reassure the public that there will not be a wave of immigrants from the two EU states, while countering the UK Independence Party's "open-door immigration" opposition ahead of the European elections next year.

The prime minister told the Financial Times that, among other things, he wanted to change the law so that new EU migrants would have to wait three months before they could access unemployment benefits.