Immigration is by far the biggest worry for voters, a poll reveals.

Six in ten put it in their top three issues of concern, according to the YouGov study. It comes at a time when the subject is widely ignored by the political classes – and even David Cameron failed to mention immigration in his New Year address yesterday.

Instead, the Prime Minister highlighted social problems such as poverty, social mobility, housing and extremism.

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A long way from home: Six in ten put immigration in their top three issues of concern, according to a YouGov study. Pictured, Syrian refugees arrive on the Scottish island of Bute earlier this month, among the first of the island's new arrivals

In the past 12 months, net migration into Britain has soared above 330,000, blowing a hole in the Tory election pledge to reduce it to the tens of thousands.

The poll will increase pressure on Mr Cameron to secure a proper deal to limit immigration in his renegotiation of Britain’s membership of the European Union. In the survey, carried out for The Times, 60 per cent selected ‘immigration and asylum’ among their top three political priorities.

It made the top area of concern for voters. Significantly behind in second place was health, which was selected by four in ten of those surveyed.

The economy went from second to third place, suggesting the public are now more relaxed about the issue some eight years after the crash. One in three voters named it as an area of concern.

The poll suggested immigration was an important factor across the political spectrum. Labour voters selected ‘immigration and asylum’ as the second most important issue facing the country, behind health.

In the past 12 months, net migration into Britain has soared above 330,000, blowing a hole in the Tory election pledge to reduce it to the tens of thousands. Pictured, migrants sit on a barrier beside an exit sliproad at the Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles, Calais, in July

It follows a year in which Europe has seen an influx of more than a million migrants, including hundreds of thousands fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq. Critics of mass migration say it puts huge pressure on public services and damages the job prospects and wages of British workers.

Alp Mehmet, of MigrationWatch, said the findings were ‘hardly a surprise’.

‘We have no idea what’s going to happen with regard to controlling immigration. It’s no wonder people are more concerned than any of the other major areas that affect their life.’