Now one million workers in the UK come from East Europe: Theresa May urged to push ahead with Brexit after figures reveal record numbers of migrant workers
The most dramatic rise was for Romanians and Bulgarians working in the UK. Their numbers increased by 86,000 over the year – or 45 per cent – to a record 276,000.
Campaigners said the statistics showed Britain needed to regain control of its borders.
Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of the MigrationWatch think-tank, which calls for balanced migration, said: ‘These figures represent a milestone in EU migration to Britain.
Theresa May was urged to push ahead with Brexit last night as new figures revealed record numbers of migrants working in Britain.
The Office for National Statistics yesterday said foreign-born workers now hold one in six jobs – a record 5.4million of the total labour force of 31.8million.
The statistics also showed that the number of foreign workers from Poland and seven other eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004 has soared past one million for the first time.
