An estimated 300,000 visas giving foreigners the right to come to Britain may be wrongly approved every year, a committee of MPs has been told.

New figures from the Office of National Statistics show, among other things, net immigration to the UK increased by 46,000 last year. But what do these latest figures mean? And what do they tell us about the future population?

Net migration into the UK rose by 25% to 237,000 people last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase has sparked a row between government ministers and the Conservatives over immigration controls, prompting calls for an annual limit on new arrivals.

The extent of support in Britain for the far-right, anti-immigration British National Party (BNP) has been revealed with the publication of the personal details of more than 12,000 of its members and supporters on Wikileaks.

Lawyers, charities and church workers have described as “extraordinary” and “deplorable” comments by UK Immigration Minister Phil Woolas suggesting that most asylum seekers were not genuinely fleeing persecution.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development says the fall in EU migrant numbers is both good and bad news for British jobseekers as this is yet another indicator of worsening labour market conditions.

France has rejected a plan to carry out a joint charter flight with Britain to deport to Kabul 43 Afghans found without papers near Calais.