Efforts to control mass immigration are being held back by a ‘clearly inadequate’ budget and the institutional bias of the BBC, a report warns today.

The Government dedicates just 0.25 per cent – or £1.8billion – of its annual expenditure to securing Britain’s borders and removing illegal immigrants and foreign criminals.

Incredibly, this is six times less than the estimated £12billion budget for overseas aid.

Migration Watch today claimed a shortage of resources was the main reason the Conservative Party failed in its attempt to cut net migration and to remove non-EU immigrants who moved to Britain, file photograph

In an audit released today, campaign group MigrationWatch said the shortage of resources was a key reason why the Tories have failed to hit their target to cut net migration to the ‘tens of thousands’. While the number of migrants arriving in the UK has increased sharply, the number of non-EU immigrants being removed has stayed flat at around 100,000 every year.

In part, this is because border guards do not have the capacity to track down, for example, foreign students, many of whom stay on illegally when their course has finished.

The report warns: ‘It is clear the very limited resources devoted to immigration are seriously out of kilter with the very serious consequences for our society of continued mass immigration and the associated level of public concern.’

The think-tank also blamed the pressure put on Westminster by liberals to continue a policy of large-scale immigration.

It said there is ‘a strong bias in the BBC in favour of immigration, combined with a reluctance even to address the case for reducing immigration’.

It also warns of the ‘pro-immigration bias of parts of the Civil Service’ and ‘continued Treasury enthusiasm for GDP growth, irrespective of the impact of immigration on population growth and on the lower paid’.

Migration Watch director Lord Green, pictured, wants David Cameron to introduce specific targets to reduce migration from outside the European Union following the publication of today's report

The study says David Cameron was right to make an election commitment in 2010 to cut net migration to below 100,000.

It finds significant progress has been made in reducing the number of non-EU students coming in, largely thanks to the closure of 700 bogus colleges. The Tories have also tightened the rules for family reunion visas and made attempts to crack down on sham marriages.

However, the Government’s efforts have been blown off course by a surge in immigration from within the EU – over which ministers have no control. Net migration – the difference between the number of people arriving here and those leaving – is currently at 260,000 a year.

MigrationWatch chairman Lord Green of Deddington urged the Tories to stick to the task and wants the party to introduce a specific target for reducing migration from outside the EU.

The cross-bench peer said: ‘This is the first time that a government has made a serious effort to get numbers down.

‘They have undeniably made valuable progress but continued strong efforts, led from the top, are essential. These efforts must succeed if the public are not to lose faith in our political system.’