A record number of foreigners were granted British citizenship last year, according to Home Office figures published today.

Just over 164,600 people were given citizenship —- the highest number of applications granted in any year.

The seven per cent increase in persons given citizenship followed a fall in the previous year.

Since 1997 when Labour came to power almost 2 million people have been awarded citizenship, the figures show.

Three quarters of new citizens last year came from countries in Asia and Africa with the main nationalities being from the Phillipines, Afghanistan, South Africa and Pakistan.

Separate figures showed that the number of people leaving the UK for at least a year reached a record high of an estimated 400,000 in 2006. Almost half the emigrants were UK citizens compared with 149,000 a decade ago.

An estimated 591,000 people entered the country, ten per cent up on the previous year, meaning net migration into the country was about 190,000. The overwhelming majority —- 86 per cent —- of immigrants were non British citizens.

“This continued the trend of high immigration to the UK experienced since 1998,” said the Office for National Statistics which published the International Migration figures.

London was the most common destination for immigrants with 29 per cent saying they intended to stay in the capital.

Almost two thirds of British citizens emigrating went to live in five countries. Just under one third went to Australia or New Zealand, just under a quarter to live in Spain or France and eight per cent to the United States.

The ONS said that while overall immigration has been rising steadily since the late 1990s, there were very different patterns.“For British citizens, there has been a noticeable upward trend of emigration in recent years. This coupled with lower numbers of immigration of British citizens, has resulted in increasing net emigration since 2000," it said. “Conversely immigration of non British citizens has more than doubled since 1997. Emigration of non British citizens has been considerably lower."

The latest asylum figures released by the Home Office show that the number of applications in the first three months of this year rose by 16 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Times Recommends

• The bright side of this winter rain
• Story behind the picture: Snow Leopard, 2008
• Times Charity Appeal: The Place2Be