Claims migrants are increasingly jumping the queue for affordable housing at the expense of local people were today dismissed as a 'dangerous myth' as new figures revealed that the proportion of social homes going to non-UK residents is consistently less than 5%.

The National Housing Federation (NHF), which compiled the data, said around 4.6% of housing association lettings in England went to migrants last year - and the figure was virtually identical the previous two years.

The Federation, which represents England's housing associations, said it was publishing the figures to dispel the myth that immigrants are getting social homes ahead of local people.

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The controversial issue hit the headlines when the Government announced changes to the way social housing is allocated.

The Federation supports changes to the allocation system, which it believes will make access to social housing fairer, but hit out at those who have deliberately mislead people into thinking migrants were getting a better deal.

Housing associations provide around two million social homes in England, but in 2008/9 just 4.6% of new lettings last year went to non-UK citizens.

NHF Director Ruth Davison said the figures showed that the perception that migrants get unfair access to social housing is wrong.

Ms Davison said: "Over the last few years, extremists have created a dangerous myth that migrants routinely gain unfair access to social housing.

"Our figures show that this is a falsehood, and it is a falsehood that must be confronted.

"The poisonous housing myth can only damage community relations, racialise the housing debate, and generate yet more support for the extremists."

(CD/JM)