More than 700,000 migrants arrived in the UK last year, official figures set to reveal as Tories fear backlash
MORE than 700,000 migrants arrived in the UK last year, official figures are expected to reveal.
The numbers for 2022 will trigger huge alarm among Tory worried about voter backlash.
It will also hike pressure on the Government to get the 5.2 million Brits on out-of-work benefits back into the workplace., reducing the need for foreign workers.
The rise — which some believe could hit 800,000 — is driven by more international students and their families, the war in Ukraine and incoming NHS staff.
It far exceeds the official 504,000 figure for June 2021 to June 2022, meaning the influx for the second half of the year was vast.
The Office for National Statistics is expected to confirm the 2022 migration total on May 25.
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But former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “It looks like it will be a worrying set of figures. It’s going to be a huge problem for the Conservative Party.
"We have pledged repeatedly to reduce net migration and haven’t.
“A city the size of Leeds coming here in a year might boost our economy but will push down wages, British productivity and make our housing crisis even worse.”
Alp Mehmet, from Migration Watch UK, believes net migration for last year will “massively” exceed 500,000.
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He said: “The loose points-based system that followed Brexit has sucked in more and more people, as we said it would.”
The Home Office said: “We remain committed to reducing net migration over time, while ensuring we have the skills our economy and public services need.”