A study carried by The Daily Mail yesterday shows that while there were 32,000 Maltese nationals in the UK in 2004, there were only 25,000 in 2010. This, the paper said, is the highest drop among foreign populations in the UK.

The top five nations fuelling the rise in Britain’s immigration are all from Eastern Europe, it emerged from the study.

Slovakia, with a population of just five million, leads the boom in foreigners in the UK.

New figures reveal 49,000 Slovakians went to live in the UK in 2010, a massive 513% increase on the 8,000 who arrived in 2004.

The former Communist bloc country has a 12.1% unemployment rate – almost double that of Britain – and its workers earn around £7,000 a year.

And under EU regulations, migrants are entitled to state handouts including jobseeker’s allowances and housing benefit.

Many of Slovakia’s neighbours like Latvia, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania have joined the rush to live in the UK now that they are in the EU.

Poland has 521,000 of its citizens in Britain – 448% up on the 95,000 who arrived in 2004.

The figures, calculated using data from the government’s Office of National Statistics, also highlight the number of foreigners leaving the country.

Nationals from Malta, who have few rights to work in the UK, left the country at a faster rate than any other foreign group.

In 2004, 32,000 of Maltese citizens arrived in the UK, but last year, 7,000 – 22% – had left, while 54,000 Irish left, a drop of 12%.

The fastest growing populations in the UK

COUNTRY 2004 2010 RISE

1. Slovakia 8,000 49,000 513%

2. Latvia 7,000 39,000 457%

3. Poland 95,000 521,000 448%

4. Romania 14,000 68,000 386%

5. Bulgaria 11,000 53,000 382%

The fastest falling populations

COUNTRY 2004 2010 FALL

1. Malta 32,000 25,000 22%

2. Uganda 62,000 53,000 15%

3. Ireland 452,000 398,000 12%

4. Kenya 143,000 129,000 10%

5. Hong Kong 86,000 78,000 9%