Britain’s 40 percent surge in ethnic numbers

THE face of Britain has "changed forever" after mass immigration fuelled a 40 per cent increase in the nation’s ethnic minority population.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics will add to criticism of Labour s immigration polici Figures from the Office for National Statistics will add to criticism of Labour’s immigration polici

The huge rise over just eight years means more than nine million people in England and Wales – equivalent to one in six of the population – are now from a “non-white” background. The figures from the Office for National Statistics will add to criticism of Labour’s flawed immigration policies.

Sir Andrew Green, of lobby group MigrationWatch UK, said: “This rise is part of Labour’s legacy. Whether they meant to or not, they changed the face of Britain forever.

“And if immigration continues at this rate our population will hit 70 million within 20 years and immigrants will account for half of new households. We are already feeling the pressures on maternity units and schools.”

The ONS figures show that the number of people from an ethnic minority living in Britain rose from 6.6 million in 2001 to 9.1 million in 2009 due to a rise in immigration and birth rates.

This rise is part of Labour’s legacy. Whether they meant to or not, they changed the face of Britain forever

Sir Andrew Green, of lobby group MigrationWatch UK

In contrast, the number of white Britons has remained static over the same period.

The largest ethnic groups in the country are Indians, who account for more than 1.4 million people living here, and Pakistanis, who represent a further one million residents.

The statisticians say the rise in the UK’s Indian population, which is 380,000 up on 2001, is “primarily due” to international migration, while high birth rates are a key factor behind the combined 390,000 growth in the Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations.

Among the sharpest increases was the Chinese ethnic group, whose numbers have increased by 8.6 per cent a year to 450,000.

The number of black Africans has also rocketed since 2001, up by 300,000 or 6.2 per cent a year. This is largely attributed to people seeking asylum from Zimbabwe, Somalia, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The biggest increase over the period – a total of 553,000 people – is among the “other white” group which includes people from Eastern Europe, as well as citizens of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

Tory MP Stewart Jackson said: “The data reflects the consequences of Labour’s ‘open-door’ immigration policy.

“Unchecked immigration has the potential to upset community cohesion and puts terrific pressure on the public purse.”

His point was echoed by Helen Barnard, of social affairs charity Joseph Rowntree Foundation. She pointed out that ethnic minorities often lived in poverty and relied on benefits to pull them back from the breadline. She said: “The statistics highlight the need to ensure the disproportionate number of ethnic minorities living in poverty is not allowed to grow even further.”

Across England, Leicester has the highest proportion of Asian Indians at 19 per cent, Bradford is next with 13 per cent of Asian Pakistani people, and 21 per cent of the residents of Tower Hamlets in London are Asian Bangladeshi.

The highest proportion of black Caribbean people are found in Lewisham, south-east London, followed by Birmingham. MigrationWatch UK claims that British whites will become a minority in Leicester, Birmingham, Bradford and Oldham “perhaps by 2016”.

The campaign group estimates that three million immigrants have arrived in Britain since 1997.

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