THE TELEGRAPH: More than one in 10 people living in Britain today were born abroad, a record level, new figures show.
The proportion of the population who are foreign-born has almost doubled in the past two decades to 11 per cent, or 6.7million people.
One of the key factors behind Britain’s population increase has been the flow of migrant workers from Poland, Lithuania and six other Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004.
At the same time, the percentage of children being born to foreign mothers has also reached new levels, reported Jil Matheson, the national statistician.
The Office for National Statistics figures showed that in 2008 some 11 per cent of the population were born abroad, up from around 8 per cent in 2001 and 6.7 per cent in 1991. Figures are not available for 1997 when Labour came to power but, based on trends, is likely to have been just over 7 per cent.
Britain’s population is on course to pass 70 million in around two decades, Ms Matheson warned. She said projections based on past demographic trends suggest a 17 per cent increase in population over the next 25 years to hit 71.6 million by 2033. >>> Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor | Tuesday, December 08, 2009
