Migrant boom skyrockets UK population

United Kingdom, 25th June: UK’s population is touching new highs, thanks to the migrant baby-boom and high levels of immigration.

Each day, around 1,100 people are being added to the population of the UK and official figures reveal that currently, the total population of the UK is 61.8 million. 

The rise in UK’s population is despite the fact that there has been a fall in the net migration level for the second consecutive year, the ONS figures reiterate. 

The ONS (Office for National Statistics) revealed that there has been an increase of nearly 394,000 people in the UK which made the total population touch the figure of 61,792,000 in mid-2009. 

The soaring UK immigration levels coupled with fewer deaths and high rates of birth over the last decade saw the population increase by 0.6 percent from the last year. The increasing numbers of immigrants entering the UK over the last ten years contribute nearly 50 percent towards the increase in UK’s population. 

Between mid-2008 to mid 2009, the difference between deaths and births was 217,000. Natural factors accounted for 55 percent of growth in UK’s population while migration contributed for nearly 70 percent of population in the year 2001-02. 

Last year, there has been a decline in the net migration by 15,000 to make the total figures at 176,000. However, it is still higher than the net migration (0f 143,000) in the year 2002 by 23 percent. 

In the year 2008-09, the number of deaths in the UK stayed at same rate as the previous year (2007-08), however, there has been a fall in the number of deaths by 4,000 to 787,000. 

The ONS also clarified the increased birth-rates in the UK are due to migrant mums since out of every four new born, nearly one has a mum who is foreign-born. Immigrant women in the UK are found to be having high birth rates than the natives in the UK. 

Overseas immigration also clearly indicates that as compared to the year 2001, the UK currently has nearly 200,000 more females in the age group of 15-44 years which happens to be the childbearing age. 

Hence, the UK government has reiterated its pledge to slash down the current UK immigration levels, the UK immigration minister Damian Green said. This will be done through the introduction of several new means including strict regulations for UK student visas, UK work permits and so on.