Nearly one in six people living in England and Wales last year were born outside the country and Indians constituted the largest chunk at 1.5 per cent of residents, according to the latest statistics based on the country’s 2021 census data.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that India remained the most common country of birth outside of the UK last year at 920,000 people, followed by Poland at 743,000 people or 1.2 per cent of residents and Pakistan at 624,000 (1 per cent).

“One in six usual residents of England and Wales were born outside the UK, an increase of 2.5 million since 2011, from 7.5 million (13.4 per cent) to 10 million (16.8 per cent),” the ONS said in a release.

The top three countries of birth outside the UK for England and Wales remain unchanged as India, Poland and Pakistan since the last census10 years ago, with the numbers rising across all categories— India from 694,000, Poland from 579,000 and Pakistan from 482,000 in 2011.

The census data also shows that Polish, Romanian and Indian were the three most common non-UK passports held by residents in England and Wales in 2021.

French priest faces probe

Paris: The prosecutor’s office in Marseille has opened a preliminary investigation for “aggravated sexual assault” against Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, one of France’s highest-ranking prelates of the Catholic Church.

Via a letter that was read out on Monday during a conference of French bishops, Ricard said that he had abused a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago and is withdrawing from his religious duties.

The investigation was opened on Tuesday following a letter from an adviser of the current bishop of Nice.

Dominique Laurens, the Marseille prosecutor, opened the preliminary investigation but specified that “no complaint” has yet been filed against the cardinal.

AP/PTI