David Cameron has reignited the issue of immigration in the election campaign saying the UK would be a "better, stronger" country if it accepted fewer migrants.
He also claimed more training for young people in the UK would help drive down immigration.
The Conservatives have tried to focus debate away from immigration and onto the economy in recent weeks.
Senior party figures believe that too heavy a concentration on the issue will only drive voters to Ukip.,
The Prime Minister's comments came as he was asked directly if he regretted his pledge four years ago to cut net migration to less than 100,000 by 2015.
He is on course to miss that aim substantially, with net migration standing at 260,000.
He told the BBC's Jeremy Vine show that his target "was a commitment I made which I want to keep.
"I believe we would be a better, stronger country if we had net migration in the tens of thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands.
"That is what I wanted to achieve... I want to keep going until we do achieve it because I believe it is the right thing for our country."
He added: "Back in the 1980s when we had an open economy we had migration in the tens of thousands and immigration ceased to be for many years a political issue in our country.
"I think the British public are intensely reasonable about this issue.
They recognise immigration is good for the UK but they feel it hasn't been controlled properly. I want to achieve that pledge because it would be good for our country."
No 10 said that Mr Cameron had on a number of occasions made the point that before 2010 the UK did "not have proper controls on the immigration system, so that there were failures. For example, the lack of transitional controls which the PM opposed at the time; that's the point he was making".
Asked about the use of the term 'stronger', he said: "The PM has spoken about the impact on public services and the like, which acts as a pull factor in terms of immigration; that's the point he was making."
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