EU migrants in Britain claimed more than £4billion a year in benefits.

Those from Eastern Europe received more in welfare than the average UK citizen — and paid less income tax.

1 Ex-Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said it was no surprise that officials did not want to release the figures Credit: PA:Press Association

In the run-up to the Brexit referendum, ministers had insisted the figures were not available.

But the cost of open doors migration has now been revealed.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions, taxman and Treasury shows EU workers received more than £2.2billion in tax credits and housing benefits, £1.1billion in out-of-work payments and £700million in child benefit.

There is a stark contrast between Western and Eastern Europeans.

Nearly half the personal taxes paid by migrants from countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and Poland went straight back in tax credits and child benefit.

DWP figures were not broken down by country.

But if they followed a similar distribution, then almost all of the taxes went back in working-age benefit.

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Ex-Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith carried out the study with MigrationWatch UK.

He said: “It is no surprise they didn’t want to release the figures.”

Supporters of open immigration point to a 2016 study by University College London which found migrants since 2000 contributed £1.34 for every £1 in benefits.