UK Immigration Surge Jeopardises David Cameron's 100,000 Net Migration Pledge

The UK Prime Minister's pledge to cut annual net migration to Britain to less than 100,000 people by 2015, was blown out of the water after official figures showed a surge in immigration for the last year.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that there was an estimated net flow of 212,000 long-term migrants to the UK in the year ending September 2013.

The data means there was a hike of 58,000 in net migration on the year before – representing a 37% increase.

But the government claimed immigration flows which it has control over had dropped.

"It is down to levels we have not seen, in terms of net migration from outside the EU, since 1998," James Brokenshire, the Immigration Minister, told the BBC.

"But what it does show is a very significant increase in migration from the EU itself - doubling - and that's why we remain focused on dealing with the abuse of free movement and also addressing some of those benefit and welfare factors that may be a pull factor to attract people to come to the UK."

The research body also revealed that 532,000 people immigrated to Britain in the year ending September 2013.

The ONS also said that 320,000 emigrants left the UK in the year ending September 2013.

This is not a statistically significant difference from the 343,000 in the previous year.

Some 12,000 fewer British citizens, 6,000 fewer EU citizens and 5,000 fewer non-EU citizens emigrated.

The figures could be a big blow to Cameron ahead of the European Union Parliament Elections in May.

The Conservative Party will face fierce competition from Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party at the polls, who are odds-on favourites to win the most votes according to bookmaker William Hill.