Three Indians per hour get UK citizenship

London, May 29: Official statistics reveal that three Indians are successful in getting British citizenship per hour.

According to a Daily Express report, in 2009, 26,535 Indians secured British citizenship. If calculated, that's an outstanding 70 per day and three per hour.

Indians formed 13 per cent of the total immigrants securing British citizenship last year.

A further 15,845 came from Somalia and Zimbabwe, troubled African states that have produced many asylum seekers in recent years.

Official statistics showed that 203,705 UK citizenships were handed to foreigners last year.

The figure is a massive 58 per cent up on 2008 and the highest number since records began almost half a century ago.

The number of newcomers from outside the European Union granted the right to settle in the UK soared by 40 per cent to 214,000 during the 12 months to the end of March.

The figures, prepared by the Office for National Statistics, are seen as an indication of the massive immigration crisis facing David Cameron's coalition Government.

They will also raise concerns that the Government's promise to limit immigration from outside the EU will not go far enough, with 29 per cent of new citizenship granted to immigrants from the Indian sub-continent.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said: "These figures illustrate the scale of the immigration challenge facing the new Government.

It is our duty to control immigration for the benefit of the UK and that is what I am determined to do.

ANI