Britain would be a ‘better, stronger country’ if fewer people moved here from abroad, David Cameron claimed today.

The Prime Minister insisted he did not regret his pledge to cut net migration to the ‘tens of thousands’ despite latest figures showing it hitting 260,000.

He vowed to continue to pursue the target, despite admitting there was little he could do to curb numbers from the EU apart from limiting access to benefits.

David Cameron promised 'no ifs, no buts' to reduce net migration to the 'tens off thousands' but latest figures show 260,000 more people arrived in the UK than left in the year to June, including a record 228,000 extra immigrants who arrived from elsewhere in the European Union

Mr Cameron claimed that cutting immigration to the levels seen in the 1980s would mean it would cease to be a major political issue.

The rise of Ukip in recent months has been partly fuelled by their warning that Britain cannot control its borders while in the European Union.

Before the last election Mr Cameron pledge 'no ifs, no buts' to reduce net migration to the 'tens off thousands' during this parliament.

But latest figures show 260,000 more people arrived in the UK than left in the year to June, including a record 228,000 extra immigrants who arrived from elsewhere in the European Union.

Mr Cameron admitted his pledge would not be met, but refused to drop it. He told BBC Radio 2: ‘We’ve made some progress but not as much as I’d like.

The Prime Minister vowed to continue to pursue the 'tens of thousands' target, despite admitting there was little he could do to curb numbers from the EU apart from limiting access to benefits

‘In terms of immigration from outside the EU it’s now down at its lowest level for many years cos we have put a cap on the number of economic migrants that can come from outside the European Union to Britain.

‘But inside the European Union migration has gone up, partly because we are creating more jobs than the rest of Europe put together, and that’s why I put the toughest possible welfare reforms for foreign migrants coming to Britain.

‘It was a commitment I made which I want to keep.’

Asked if he regretted making the promise, the Prime Minister insisted: ‘No. I believe that we would be a better, stronger country if we had net migration in the tens of thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands.

‘The figures are very clear, I have not achieved that. I want to keep going until we do achieve that. I think it’s the right thing for our country.’

Mr Cameron claimed that by limiting the number of people moving to the UK, public concern about immigration would decline.

‘Back in the 1980s when we had an open economy, we had migration in the tens of thousands, and do you know what immigration ceased to be for many years a political issue on our country’, he said.

‘I think the British public are intensely reasonable about this issue. They recognise that immigration is good for the UK, but they feel it hasn’t been controlled properly, they want the numbers brought under control.

‘And I want to achieve that pledge because it would be good for our country.’

Senior Tories had pushed Mr Cameron to announce a plan to cap the number of people from within the EU able to move to Britain, or impose an ‘emergency break’ if large numbers moved from countries with economic problems.

But the idea was ditched amid warnings from other EU countries, including Germany, that the principle of freedom of movement was non-negotiable.

Mr Cameron has promised to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the EU before holding an in-out referendum before the end of 2017.

He has promised ‘four big changes’ to welfare, designed to deter people from moving to Britain.

Mr Cameron claimed that cutting immigration to the levels seen in the 1980s would mean it would cease to be a major political issue

Mr Cameron added: ‘First of all they won’t be able to claim unemployment benefit. Second of all if they are still here after six months without a job they have to go home.

‘Third of all if they stay and work they have to contribute to our system for four years before they get work-related welfare benefits.

‘And fourth if they keep their families at home in the country from which they come, they cannot receive British child benefit.

‘Those four changes I think will have a profound and fundamental effect on the numbers coming from the EU countries to Britain.