Eastern European migrants who came to live and work in the UK in the last five years have made a positive contribution to the public purse, research revealed yesterday.

The Polish, Czech and other arrivals who moved here when the European Union expanded in 2004 have paid substantially more in taxes than they have received in benefits, the study by academics at University College London (UCL) found.

Official statistics show that between 2004 and 2008, more than 52,000 people came to Scotland from the new EU countries, including Lithuania and Estonia. The majority of immigrants from Eastern Europe came from Poland.

Two years ago, a mini baby-boom during which 57,000 births were registered was also linked to the increase in immigration as it emerged that a-third of the new parents were Eastern European.

Professor Christian Dustmann yesterday said the wave of immigrants had made a "substantial net contribution to the UK fiscal system".

In 2008-09 arrivals from the A8 countries - the eight poor Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004 - paid 37% more in taxes than they took in welfare payments and from public services, he said.

"From the fiscal point of view, this immigration has not been at all a burden on the welfare system. Rather, it has contributed to strengthen the fiscal position," he said.

Mr Dustmann, who heads the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration at UCL, found immigrants were on average better educated than the native population.

But new arrivals were also prepared to work for much lower wages - on average a-third less - and are 60% less likely to claim benefits. After a year here their job prospects improve significantly and average wage levels increase.

The study, which looked at arrivals between 2004 and 2008, found around 90% of working-age men and three-quarters of women had jobs.

During the recession, immigrant workers may fare better in the employment market than native Britons because of their better skills and qualification, Mr Dustmann said.

The 2004 EU enlargement took in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland, and around 700,000 are thought to be living here.

The UK was one of only a few countries to open up its labour market fully to new members, but the government restricted access to benefits until after a year of full-time work.

Figures released earlier this year revealed that the number of A8 migrants returning home more than doubled last year, as the recession began to bite.

The International Passenger Survey (IPS) showed a total of 56,000 Eastern Europeans left the country in the year to September. But, because 100,000 arrived, there was still an overall increase of 44,000.

More recent figures released by the Home Office indicated even sharper declines in new Eastern European workers.

In the first three months of this year, 23,000 A8 workers applied to join the Workers Registration Scheme - less than half the total of the same period last year.

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: "There is no denying the benefits migrants can bring to the UK, with European workers making an important contribution to our economy, through paying taxes and filling skills and labour gaps in sectors such as hospitality and agriculture.

"British workers have also benefited from opportunities to work in the EU.

"As well as the benefits, we know there have been some short-term impacts as a result of migration from Eastern Europe.

"That is why we introduced the Workers Registration Scheme to ensure that people come to work and not to claim benefits. This research shows our strategy is paying off."