Analysis of the official statistics on irregular migration show that more than 135,000 people have been detected attempting to enter the UK illegally since 1 January 2018.
The total quadrupled – from just over 13,000 in 2018 to more than 52,000 in 2022.
Just under 60% of total attempts were by boat, about a quarter by those hidden in lorries or containers and 15% by those arriving irregularly by air without documentation.
The figures go a long way to explaining the chaotic state of our asylum system, as over 90% of those who enter by boat and lorry then go on to claim asylum. In the year ending September 2022 (1 Oct 2021 to 31 August 2022), 90% (31,891 of 35,345 arrivals) claimed asylum or were recorded as a dependant on an asylum application.
This asylum chaos, and rampant fraud by those abusing the system, is costing innocent, young British lives as our Chairman explains here.
It should be noted that these figures represent just the tip of the iceberg. That is because tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of people overstay their visas each year – which is another form of immigration abuse (see our papers here and here). Indeed, the Home Office just disclosed that more than 20,500 people of Indian nationality overstayed their visa in 2020 alone.
Meanwhile, the latest estimates by Pew Research suggest the number of illegals in the UK could be as high as 1.2 million (the largest illegal immigrant population in Europe). Meanwhile the government refuses to make an estimate of the number, knowing that the truth would shame them into oblivion.
Note 2: Figures for those hidden in lorries / containers and inadequately documented air arrivals based on latest data available in government tables released for year to September 2022 (published November 2022).