Barbara Roche, chair of the cross-party group, the Migration Matters Trust commented,

“Today’s migration figures carry a warning to all of the parties for the next election: promise what you can deliver and deliver what you promise.

The public is already cynical about the mainstream parties’ policies on immigration and committing to unachievable targets makes matters worse.

It’s time to be straight with the public on two counts.

First, if you believe we should stay in the EU, then freedom of movement is here to stay, which means immigration is likely to rise as our economy does well compared to the rest of the EU.

Second, and this is the real taboo, this migration is overwhelmingly good for Britain, plugging skills gaps, boosting output and bolstering our recovery.

Only when the parties are honest about these two issues will we finally approach a serious debate on migration.”

Ends