Research
Illegal Clandestine Arrivals By Lorry
1. The total number of migrants entering the UK clandestinely each year is not known. However, our analysis suggests that there have been at least 320,000 attempts to come to the UK without prior permission from Northern France since 2014. This number does not include attempted but unsuccessful attempts to
Fraudulent documents presented to Border Force
Note: To see the shorter summary of this paper, click here. You can also read coverage of this paper in Metro, Daily Telegraph, The Sun and The Times. 1. A freedom of information release shows that nearly 2,000 fraudulent identity documents are presented to Border Force staff per year (totalling 21,256 between 2010 and 2020)[1] – see Figure
Asylum abuse by adults claiming to be children
Note: See coverage of this paper in the Daily Telegraph, The Times and Daily Mail. Summary 1. The system for checking the age of asylum claimants is so loose that it gives the benefit of the doubt to those saying without proof that they are minors. In the midst of this, there has been
Rising cost of benefits for asylum claimants
1. The number of people in asylum-related accommodation has tripled in the past decade – from 21,000 in 2012 to 64,000 in the year to September 2021. The government has projected the number could rise to as high as 80,000 by Spring 2022 – an estimate that far outstrips the previous expected figure of
Resettlement of Afghan citizens to the UK
Summary 1. The planned resettlement to the UK of between 20,000 and 30,000 Afghan citizens is a major event, comparable in scale to 20,000-30,000 Ugandan Asians taken in by Britain in 1972. (Syrian refugee resettlement since 2011 has been on a similar scale). Estimates of the cost of the Afghan
Spending and staffing: UK immigration and asylum system
1. Gross expenditure on the UK’s immigration and asylum system is now costing around £1 billion more than in 2015/16. Total spending on operations for the five departments carrying out these Home Office functions was £3.4 billion in 2020/21 (£1 billion more than just under £2.4 billion gross expenditure in 2015/16). While
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Statistics
Migration Watch UK monitors and analyses official immigration and population statistics. We chart trends, report key developments, and provide clear, accessible insights to help understand migration and its impact on the UK.