‘One million’ migrants in UK illegally

Police arrest a suspected illegal immigrant who stowed away in a tanker
Police arrest a suspected illegal immigrant who stowed away in a tanker
SWNS

Up to one million illegal immigrants may be living in Britain and many will never be deported, a former head of the UK Border Agency claims.

The figure is significantly higher than some previous estimates and will lead to scrutiny of Theresa May’s record on tackling illegal immigration while home secretary.

Debates on immigration, particularly during the referendum campaign, have focused on legal arrivals from the EU. Rob Whiteman, former chief executive of the Border Agency, warned that insufficient attention was being paid to the number of non-EU migrants working illegally.

“The scale of illegal migration and illegal working is not nearly discussed as much as other issues around immigration,” he said. “The government does not have the resources or political levers to deport hundreds