140,000 immigrants become UK citizens

A record 140,000 immigrants were granted British citizenship last year, the Home Office revealed today.

The number was up sharply from the previous year's total of 126,000, itself a record.

The figures are set to reopen the debate about immigration on the day the Government brought forward plans for a points system to assess wouldbe migrant workers.

Immigration minister Tony McNulty said: "Today's figures show that many people who have settled in the UK want to make a commitment to UK society by becoming British citizens." At the same time, the Home Off ice recorded another fall in asylum applications, down 22 per cent year on year in the first quarter of 2005, and now at their lowest since 1997.

Removals fell 10 per cent year on year, but the Government insisted it was on course to meet targets.

A total of 46 per cent of new citizens qualified because they had lived in the UK for six years or more.