Migration 'could be underestimated', say Migration Watch

Campaigners for lower levels of immigration to the UK have warned officials could be underestimating the scale of net migration.

Migration Watch said given that figures for the 10-year period to 2011 had to be revised, it fears current estimates may still be unreliable.

The Office of National Statistics is "confident" its figures are accurate.

It has already accepted it undercounted the number of immigrants from countries which joined the EU after 2004.

In December the ONS revised its figures on the difference between the number of people coming to and leaving the country for the 10 years up to 2011, in the light of Census findings of that year.

It said that over that period the population of England and Wales grew by 464,000 more than initially claimed - mostly due to migration.

The government has so far refused to put a figure on the number of Romanians and Bulgarians who could come to the UK when restrictions are lifted in January.

Campaigners have said as many as 250,000 people could arrive for work in the next five years.

The coalition government vowed net migration would fall to under 100,000 per year by 2015.