The number of EU migrants in Britain is continuing to rise but growing at its slowest rate for more than four years, according to new figures.
New data has revealed that an estimated 2.35 million employees from within the EU worked in Britain from October to December 2017, marking an increase of 101,000 on the same period in 2016.
Published by the Office for National Statistics, the latest figures showed that this increase is due in part to a rise in Romanians and Bulgarians working in Britain, with the number of nationals from the two countries rising to record highs.
The new UK immigration figures also revealed that the number of UK employees from the 14 other member states also increased, rising from 935,000 in October to December in 2016 to 1,014,000 in the same period in 2017.
Commenting on the data, Alp Mehmet, vice chairman of Migration Watch UK, stated that these figures show the number of EU nationals working in Britain is still increasing, despite Brexit.
There is no sign whatsoever of EU workers abandoning the UK,” he said. “Indeed, this illustrates the need for a major decrease in immigration and Brexit is the opportunity to achieve it.”