More people than ever want to work and live in the UK, with the latest government figures showing that net migration has reached its highest level in a decade.

Net migration rose by 50% to 318,000 last year with sharp increases from inside and outside the European Union. A total of 641,000 people moved to the UK in 2014, the data from the Office for National Statistics shows.

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The numbers of non-British EU citizens increased by 67,000 to 268,000 and non-EU citizens increased 42,000 to 290,000. Immigration of British citizens increased by 7,000 to 83,000.

An estimated 323,000 people emigrated from the UK in 2014. Overall emigration levels have been relatively stable since 2010.

A large number arrive in the UK to work and the data shows that in 2014 some 284,000 people did so, an increase of 70,000 compared with 2013, continuing the rise since the middle of 2012.

There were statistically significant increases compared with the previous year for both EU non-British and non-EU citizens, whereas the increase for British citizens was not statistically significant.

In 2014 the number of work-related visas granted rose 11,007, or 10% to 119,883, including a 6,842, or 15% increase for skilled work.

Immigration for study increased from 177,000 to 193,000 in 2014 and over the same period visa applications to study at a UK university rose by 0.3% to 168,562.

The number of immigrants arriving to accompany or join others increases from 71,000 to 91,000 in 2014.

There are still large numbers of people arriving from eastern European countries. Some 46,000 Romanian and Bulgarian (EU2) citizens immigrated to the UK in 2014, up from 23,000 in the previous 12 months. Of these, 35,000 were coming for work, an increase of 19,000 compared with 2013. The latest estimates reflect the first full year since EU2 working restrictions ended on 01 January 2014.

The UK government has announced a number of new measures aimed at stopping undesirable immigration. These include making working illegally a criminal offence and giving authorities the power to seize illegal earnings.

The government also wants to force EU migrants to wait four years before accessing a range o