UK IMMIGRATION - REUTERS INDIA

Here are some facts about inward migration in Britain, the policies of the main political parties and those of minor ones, like the anti-immigration British National Party (BNP), whose resurgence analysts say could erode support for the big three parties in some areas.

MAKING SENSE OF THE FIGURES

* The Office of National Statistics (ONS) says net inward migration to the UK is up threefold since Labour came to power. It increased from 48,000 per year in 1997 to 163,000 per year in 2008. New entrants peaked at 237,000 in 2007 before falling back.

* According to a London School of Economics (LSE) pre-election report, 10.2 percent of Britain's population is foreign-born (based on OECD 2007 figures).

* LSE report says inward flows have fallen since 2006, and from late 2008 the pool of immigrants has shrunk due to the recession.

* Migrants from Central and Eastern Europe from countries that joined the European Union in 2004 fell 32 percent in the year to June 2009 (ONS).

* Interior ministry (Home Office) says asylum applications dropped 30 percent in the final quarter of 2009 compared with the last quarter of 2008.

* Home Office says provisional figures show 30 percent more people were allowed to settle in the UK in 2009 versus 2008.

* Pool of immigrants has risen in all regions, but most in London followed by West Midlands and Greater Manchester (LSE).

* Immigrants made up 39 percent of London's population in 2009 (LSE).

* Migrants are arriving from more countries than ever before, with the most coming from Poland, India and Pakistan, followed by South Africa and the United States (LSE).

* An LSE report commissioned by the Mayor of London estimated there were 725,000 illegal immigrants in the UK in 2007.

* UK (with 10.2 percent) has a lower share of foreign-born people than Australia (25 percent), Germany (12.9 percent) or the United States (13.6 percent).

And look at how the British are portrayed.
As Ignorant illiterates

"* Immigrants are on average more educated than their UK-born counterparts. More than half of the UK-born workforce left school at 16 or earlier, but fewer than one in six new immigrants stopped education at 16 (LSE study)."

And how they compare Britain (an Island) to Australia (an Continent)

"* UK (with 10.2 percent) has a lower share of foreign-born people than Australia (25 percent), Germany (12.9 percent) or the United States (13.6 percent)."

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