BALLOONING migration has fuelled the fastest rise in Britain’s population for more than five decades.
Total UK residents hit 68,265,200 in June last year after an extra 662,400 people were absorbed in the previous 12 months.
It marks a population increase of 0.97 per cent – and the biggest since comparable records began in 1971.
Runaway net migration drove the population hike entirely because the number of deaths outnumbered births for the first time.
The Office for National Statistics figures last night sparked fresh calls for tougher border controls.
Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick told The Sun: “These numbers are unsustainable and putting enormous strain on public services, housing and communities.
“It shows why we urgently need an annual cap on net migration to get them under control once and for all.”
Reform UK boss Nigel Farage added: “The quality of life is declining for all of us because of the population crisis.”
In the year to this June separate figures show a whopping 1.16million visas were dished out either for work, study or to live with family.
It comes after a package of migration curbs implemented by the last Tory government, primarily to stop people bringing dependents.
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to bring net migration down by stopping bosses hiring cheap workers from abroad.
The PM’s spokesman said: “The PM and the Home Secretary have been clear that overall net migration does need to come down, and we should end the situation where legal migration is used as an alternative to tackling skill shortages in the UK.”
