England is expected to see a population increase of more than four million over the next decade, with half of the growth attributed to immigration.
New government projections released Wednesday by England’s National Health Service (NHS), show a rapid population increase over the next few years. Some cities will grow by as much as 25 percent.
Immigration will expand the population by 3.6 percent , while natural growth — the difference between birth and death rates — accounts for 3.9 percent. Newborn children of immigrant women over the next decade are counted as population growth and not immigration.
The data is updated every two years, and this year’s release comes less than one month before the “Brexit” vote on whether or not the country should leave the European Union.
Chris Grayling, a politician for the British Conservative party and the leader of the House of Commons, said the figures should be viewed as a warning signal for what an EU membership leads to. A majority of immigration comes from EU citizens taking advantage of free movement.
“These changes are happening now,” Grayling said, according to The Telegraph. “There is no doubt that EU migration is at the heart of this.”
Many communities in England are suffering from a shortage in housing and primary school spots and the rapid growth is expected to make the situation worse.
“Meanwhile there is projected to be a shortfall in primary school places in the very near future,” Alp Mehmet, vice chairman of campaign group Migration Watch UK, said, according to The Sun. “These figures can only make a bad situation a whole lot worse.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.