The number of migrants found in the backs of lorries or cars in Britain more than doubled to 6,400 last year.
The chief inspector of borders and immigration said in a report published yesterday that enforcement action on sham marriages and illegal workers had been cut in some parts of the country because his staff had had to focus on the so-called lorry drops, where migrants hide in lorries and jump out when they have reached their destination.
The figures show the impact of the migrant crisis in Europe, which has led to thousands of people camping in Calais as they try to reach the UK. A separate report, also published yesterday, showed that 7,037 migrants are in the Jungle camp in the French port.