Theresa May has re-affirmed the Conservatives' commitment to a target of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands.

The Home Secretary said it was the Government's aim to slash the figure - the number of people entering the country minus the number leaving - to below 100,000 by 2020.

During the last parliament the coalition Government failed to realise the objective.

It was particularly uncomfortable for the Tories after David Cameron pledged to meet the target, "no ifs, no buts".

Data published shortly after the election in May showed an estimated 641,000 immigrants arriving in the UK in 2014.

This was a jump of more than 100,000 compared to the previous year and took net long term migration to 318,000.

In an apparent recognition of the size of the task, the Conservative manifesto described cutting net migration to the tens of thousands as an "ambition".

Following the election, Mr Cameron also said the aim should "remain our ambition".

Appearing before the parliamentary home affairs select committee today, Theresa May said: "We have the target of the tens of thousands. We have set that target for a very good reason, which is because of the impact that uncontrolled immigration has."

Questioned by committee chair Keith Vaz on when the government expects to meet the target, Mrs May said: "The aim is to meet it by the end of the five-year term of parliament."

She said there was a time when net migration was falling but the trend has been bucked by an increase in the numbers of people arriving from the EU.