Net migration to Britain has increased to the second highest level on record, official figures reveal.

The figure - the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving - was estimated at 333,000 for the year ending December 2015.

This was 10,000 higher than the level recorded in the year to September, which the Office for National Statistics said was "not statistically significant".

However, the new level is now more than three times David Cameron's target of getting net migration below 100,000 a year.

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Net migration of EU citizens was estimated at 184,000, up compared to the previous year when it stood at 174,000, and the joint highest figure on record. Immigration from the bloc - just the number arriving - was 270,000.

Statisticians said the apparent increase in EU net migration was largely due to a rise in net migration of citizens from Bulgaria and Romania; up from 44,000 to 58,000. The number for other member states remained similar to the previous year.

The overall net migration figure, which covers those coming to the country for at least a year, is 3,000 short of the highest level.

The ONS also revealed that in 2014 13 per cent or 8.3 million of the UK resident population was born outside the UK. This has risen from nine per cent or 5.3 million in 2004.

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James Brokenshire, the immigration minister, said: "Net migration from outside of the EU and within the EU remains too high. These figures underline that there are no quick fixes or simple solutions."

He stressed the UK Government remained committed to reforms across the whole of Whitehall to bring migration down to sustainable levels, which was in the best interest of our country.

But Ukip leader Nigel Farage said he did not believe the official figures and suggested the true numbers were much higher.

"Mass immigration is still hopelessly out of control and set to get worse if we Remain inside the EU, going on with disastrous open borders," he said.

Mr Brokenshire stressed how the Government had cut abuse in student and family visa systems, raised standards in work routes and toughened welfare provisions.

"The new Immigration Act will go further, tackling illegal working and making it harder than ever for illegal migrants to stay under the radar, putting an end to the permissive environment of the past."

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He explained that in addition the Prime Minister had re-negotiated the UK's position within the EU. This would close back-door routes into the UK, tackle the artificial draw of the welfare system and make it easier to deal with abuse of free movement and to deport those with criminal records.

"Leaving the EU is absolutely no panacea or silver bullet whatever some may suggest," declared Mr Brokenshire.

Steven Woolfe MEP, UKIP's migration spokesman, said: "Britain is borderless as a member of the EU. The sheer scale of immigration is putting our public services under severe strain and causing division and disharmony in our communities.

"We need a migration policy fit for 21st Century Britain, which satisfies the needs of our economy and our society. Unless we vote to Leave the EU, we will continue to have our hands tied and have no control over who comes and who goes at our ports."

He said as a member of the EU, the UK had a discriminatory immigration policy forced upon it. "We let Europeans into Britain in their hundreds of thousands while imposing heavy restrictions on our friends from Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Commonwealth."

Mr Woolfe said schools and hospitals could not cope with the ever increasing demand and  national security was being put at risk as the UK haD no control over who was coming into the country.

"Britain deserves a fair, compassionate and managed migration policy that suits our economy and helps to guarantee our national security. A vote to Leave the EU would enable us to introduce such a policy," he added.