AROUND 10,000 more people came to Scotland from overseas than left in 2018, according to new figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

It said 32,000 people moved to Scotland and 22,000 people left in the year to December 2018.

Although there were signs of a slowdown with long-term international migration falling from its peak in 2015, more people were coming here than leaving each year.

NRS said Polish remained the most common non-British nationality, with nationals from Poland making up a quarter (97,000) of non-UK nationals living in Scotland in the year to last June. The total number of non-British nationals living here – at 373,000 – had remained broadly stable over the year.

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Overseas nationals need a National Insurance number (Nino) to work in the UK. The NRS said the latest Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data for last year showed there were 48,200 Nino allocations to overseas nationals in Scotland. Of these, 56% were to EU citizens.

In the year ending December 2019 Scotland received the most registrations from EU14 countries (12,800) and, from outside the EU, the most registrations from South Asia (5100).

The UK also received the most registrations from EU14 countries (199,500) and, from outside the EU, the most registrations from South Asia (110,300).

The NRS said that in Scotland, Romania was the most common individual EU country whose nationals applied for a Nino – an increase of 8% from the previous year – and India the most common non-EU, showing a rise of 61%.

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The Scottish council area with the most new registrations in the year to last December was Glasgow City, with 13,600 – 28% of total registrations.

Quarterly Home Office data covering refugees and others resettled under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme showed that in the year to last December there was a 9% increase in the number of refugees resettled in Scotland (591). The number across the UK remained at 4408.

In Scotland, the City of Edinburgh had the most resettled refugees at 121 (123 in the previous year). In the UK, it was Birmingham with 166 (117 previously).