SOUTH Dorset MP Richard Drax has called on Prime Minister David Cameron to do more to tackle immigration.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions today, Mr Drax urged the Prime Minister to introduce a visa system.

He said: “If net migration into the UK continues at its present level, we can fill a city the size of Leeds every three years.

“This is not only unsustainable but potentially destabilizing for the country in the long term … does my Rt Hon Friend agree with me that the sooner we adopt a visa-only system for all foreign nationals, including those from the EU, allowing a sovereign parliament to decide who settles here, the better?”

Mr Drax was referring to new figures from the Office of National Statistics, which show that net immigration has risen by 68,000 in the year to March 2014, to 243,000. Two thirds of the increased number of migrants were EU nationals. 28,000 were Romanian and Bulgarian nationals.

Mr Cameron said the Government had managed to reduce the influx of migrants from outside the EU by almost 30 per cent, adding: “I agree with him (Drax) that we need to do more.’ Referring to EU migrants, the Prime Minister said: “The freedom of movement is an important principle but it is not an unqualified right and it should not be the freedom of movement to claim benefits.”

Mr Cameron also said that transition arrangements for new, ‘accession’ EU countries should not only last a number of years but should also last until those economies are of a ‘radically different size and shape.’