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Immigration target unlikely to be met, says Theresa May Immigration target unlikely to be met, says Theresa May
(about 1 hour later)
Home Secretary Theresa May has said the government's immigration target is "unlikely" to be met. The UK is "unlikely" to meet its target of reducing immigration to the UK, says Home Secretary Theresa May.
EU migration has "blown us off course" from cutting net migration to below 100,000 before the general election, Mrs May told the Andrew Marr show. EU migration has "blown us off course" from cutting net migration to the tens of thousands before the general election, Mrs May told the Andrew Marr show.
She said Britain's strengthening economy had continued to attract people from across Europe. Mrs May said Britain's strengthening economy had continued to attract people from across Europe.
In May, Prime Minister David Cameron said the target was "perfectly achievable". David Cameron said in May the target was "perfectly achievable".
The home secretary said the government had been controlling non-EU migration and was cracking down on abuse of the visa system.
But she said reform was needed to the principle of free movement of people within the EU.
"What we have been doing is taking the steps that we believe we can take already and looking to see if there is more that we can do," Mrs May said.
"We have changed in relation to...people's access to benefits so people can't come here and start claiming benefits immediately."
She added: "I believe that it is important to us, as we look ahead to negotiating a new relationship with the EU, that we put free movement as one of those key issues that we are going to negotiate on and we are going to deal with."
But, when asked about the migration target, she admitted: "It is, of course, unlikely that we're going to reach the tens of thousands by the end of the parliament."
"No ifs, no buts"
The prime minister set the migration target in a speech in 2011.
"I believe...net migration to this country will be in the order of tens of thousands each year, not the hundreds of thousands every year that we have seen over the last decade," he said.
"With us, our borders will be under control and immigration will be at levels our country can manage. No ifs. No buts."
Net migration is the difference between the number of people coming in to the UK and those leaving.
In May 2014, Mr Cameron said the target was "perfectly achievable" during evidence to a committee of senior MPs.
But in recent months, ministers have been hinting at difficulties in meeting the promise.
Mrs May herself struggled to explain the position on BBC Radio 4's Today programme earlier this month, describing it not as a "promise" but as "a comment" or an "aim".
Mr Cameron is seeking to reform the principle of free movement of people within the EU as part of his renegotiation of Britain's terms of membership.
Mrs May said she was confident Mr Cameron would secure this reform.