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Government fails in bid to slash net migration

The Government has officially failed to deliver on its pledge to slash net migration to the tens of thousands before the general election as the last batch of official figures before May 7 revealed another surge in arrivals.

There was a net flow of 298,000 migrants to the UK in the year to September, equal to the population of a city roughly the size of Nottingham and up from 210,000 in the previous 12 months, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

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Government officially fails on net migration pledge

The Government has officially failed to deliver on its pledge to cut net migration before the next election after official figures revealed an increase in the number of people coming to the UK.

The figures are the final estimate of net migration before May's election. Credit: PA Wire

Net long-term migration to the UK increased to 298,000 in the year ending September 2014 - an increase from 210,000 in the previous year, the Office for National Statistics said.

The rise was driven by "statistically significant increases" in the number of EU and non-EU migrants entering the UK, the ONS said.

A total of 624,000 people immigrated to the UK in the year to September - up from 530,000 in the previous 12 months.

The figures will be a blow to David Cameron who, along with Home Secretary Theresa May, had vowed to slash net migration to below 100,000 by the end of the current parliamentary term.

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Government fails in bid to slash net migration

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