The number of Bulgarians and Romanians applying to work in the UK has also dropped to its lowest level with only 8,205 applications from A2 nationals in the first three months of this year, compared to 10,420 in the same period last year.
In other statistics published today, the number of asylum applications,
including dependants, fell from 8,140 in the last quarter of 2007 to 7,705 in the first quarter of 2008 - a drop of five per cent. Internationally the UK has now dropped from third to fifth in asylum application levels. Across Europe in 2007 applications for asylum rose 13 per cent while falling in the UK by one per cent.
Today's figures confirm the UK Border Agency continues to remove an immigration offender every eight minutes. In the first three months of this year 3,025 failed asylum seekers, including dependants, were removed from the UK, up from 2,965 in the last quarter of 2007. On top of this, Home Office figures show that another 13,740 illegal immigrants, excluding asylum seekers, were removed in the same period - a big increase of 20 per cent on the same period last year.
The figures underline the Government's shift to prioritise the expulsion of lawbreakers and illegal immigrants, alongside failed asylum seekers. The Home Office is targeting the removal of a record 5,000 foreign national prisoners in 2008, 110 per cent higher than two years ago.
To speed up the removal process further still, the Government yesterday announced that the immigration detention estate would be increased from its current capacity by 60 per cent, with between 1,300 and 1,500 spaces for immigration offenders.
Border and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: "Today's figures show our shake-up of border security is delivering results with asylum applications falling yet again. While in Europe last year asylum applications rose by 13 per cent, in the UK they fell to their lowest point since 1993."
"People in Britain welcome legal migrants who work hard and play by the rules. But we will not tolerate law breakers, which is why we will prioritise their expulsion from Britain. We are continuing to remove one person every eight minutes, last year that included a record number of foreign prisoners."
"Our deportation numbers are going up and they need to carry on rising. That's why yesterday I announced plans for an increase in capacity of up to 60 per cent in the detention estate, with up to 1,500 extra spaces for immigration offenders."
Earlier this year Liam Byrne announced his milestones for 2008, already these sweeping changes are coming in to effect with a tough new Australian-style Points Based System (PBS) to allow only the workers Britain needs, the fingerprinting of any visa applicant from across the globe and from November compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals.
