Eurozone crisis 'will bring influx of migrants'

David Cameron faces a major setback next year in his drive to slash immigration levels as the economic crisis in the eurozone prompts more European workers to seek jobs in Britain, a report warns today.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly promised to cut net immigration from "hundreds of thousands" per year to "tens of thousands". But an analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think-tank concludes that next year it is unlikely to fall much below the 200,000 annual average experienced during much of the last decade.

The figure is set to remain high despite initiatives by the Coalition Government to reduce immigration levels. The IPPR warns that plans will be thrown off course by the economic woes of several eurozone countries, especially if the UK economy continues to perform more strongly than others across the Channel.