There were 41,563 “asylum” applications—including dependents—made in Britain in the year ending March 2016, an increase of 30 percent compared with the previous year, new figures from the UK’s Office for National Statistics have revealed.

This is the fifth successive year in which asylum applications have risen, although the number of applications is low relative to the peak in 2002, when 103,081 swindlers applied.

According to the May 2016 ONS Migration Statistics Report, the largest number of applications for “asylum,” including dependents, came from nationals of Iran (4,811; an increase of 2,324), followed by Pakistan (3,511), Iraq (3,374), Eritrea (3,340), and Afghanistan (3,133).

In addition, some 2,235 Syrian nationals were granted asylum or an alternative form of “protection” in the twelve months ending March 2016, and a further 1,667 Syrian nationals were granted humanitarian protection under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, the ONS said.

The report also contained some interesting statistics on the number of European Union nationals entering the UK, as opposed to non-EU nationals.

These figures are of relevance to the upcoming EU membership referendum in the UK, to be held on June 23, 2016.

According to the ONS, “net long-term international migration” for the year ending December 2015 was 333,000, up by 20,000 from the previous year.

The ONS, like the rest of the UK establishment, always use the “net migration” trick to hide the true extent of the Third World invasion of Britain. This is done by deducting the number of people leaving the UK from the actual number arriving in the UK, and presenting that figure as the “net immigration” total.

What this means is that if, say, 600,000 Africans or Asians come to Britain, and 300,000 white British people leave, then they say that “net migration” is 300,000—as if it is a simple game of exchanging numbers instead of mass racial population replacement.

The ONS report went on to say that “net immigration” of EU citizens was estimated to be 270,000 for 2015, compared with 264,000 in the previous year.

“Non-EU net immigration” was 287,000—a similar level compared with the previous year, when “non-EU net immigration was 277,000.

What this means is that in both terms of “net” and “real” migration, non-EU nationals still make up the largest number of immigrants into Britain.

In terms of work immigration, the ONS said that in the year ending 2015, some 308,000 people immigrated for work, an increase of 30,000 from the previous year and the highest estimate on record.

Of these, 178,000 (58 percent) had a definite job to go to and 130,000 (42 percent) arrived looking for work—the latter figure being a statistically significant increase from 104,000 the previous year.

Of all “EU2” citizens—that is, from the “new” EU member states in eastern Europe, who came to the UK in 2015, 52,000 (84 percent) came for work-related reasons, a statistically significant increase of 17,000 from 2014.

Of these, 60 percent (31,000) arrived with a definite job to go to, a statistically significant increase of 17,000 from 2014.

The ONS report also said that the latest employment statistics from the UK’s Labour Force Survey show the estimated employment level of EU nationals (excluding British) living in the UK was 2.1 million in January to March 2016—224,000 higher than the same quarter last year.

British nationals in employment increased by 185,000 to 28.2 million and non-EU nationals in employment increased by 5,000 to 1.2 million.

The figures showed that over half of the growth in employment over the last year was accounted for by foreign nationals. The report added that these growth figures represent the “net” change in the number of people in employment, not the proportion of new jobs that have been filled by non-UK workers.

In addition, the number of “skilled work” visas granted for the year ending March 2016 to non-EU citizens totaled 54,961.

Finally, long-term “immigration for study” was estimated to be 167,000 in the year ending 2015, compared with 191,000 for 2014. This was driven by a statistically significant decrease of 22,000 for non-EU citizens.

The release of the figures—which show once again that the racial replacement of the white British people is happening independently of the European Union—has not affected the current flurry of opinion polls about the EU membership referendum.

A recent poll released by the Guardian newspaper claimed that “fears over migration” had boosted the “leave” camp.

The poll—conducted online and by telephone—claimed that the “leave” campaign was ahead by 52 percent to 48 percent.

Online surveys routinely give the “leave” side a modest lead, while apparently more accurate telephone polls tend to put “remain” at a comfortable advantage.

The Financial Times’s official poll tracker still however has the “remain” side at 46 percent, and the “leave” side at 43 percent, with the remainder undecided.