Five nationalities make up half of all illegal migrants to the UK

The total number of illegal arrivals detected in the UK in 2024 was up 19 per cent year-on-year

(AFP via Getty Images)

Migrants from five nationalities comprised over half of all individuals detected entering the UK illegally in 2024, according to Home Office data.

Of the 43,630 migrants identified arriving via irregular routes, Afghan nationals constituted the largest group, representing 15 per cent (6,339) of the total.

Following Afghans, Iranians made up 12 per cent (5,370) of illegal arrivals, with Syrians close behind at 11 per cent (4,945). Eritreans and Vietnamese nationals each accounted for 9 per cent of the total, with 3,920 and 3,798 individuals detected respectively. The figures also reveal that the nationality of 1,457 arrivals (3 per cent) was not recorded.

The top two nationalities in 2024, Afghan and Iranian, were also the most common in 2023, accounting for 17 per cent and 14 per cent of total arrivals in that year respectively.

The proportion of arrivals who were Vietnamese rose from 4 per cent in 2023 to 9 per cent in 2024, while the proportion from Syria increased from 7 per cent to 11 per cent.

By contrast, Turkish nationals accounted for 5 per cent of arrivals last year, down from 9 per cent in 2023.

(PA Graphics)

The total number of illegal arrivals detected in the UK in 2024, 43,630, was up 19 per cent from 36,699 in 2023.

The vast majority of migrants entering the country illegally last year made the journey by boat across the English Channel (84 per cent of the total), with smaller numbers arriving by air (8 per cent) and at UK ports (1%), while the remaining total (7 per cent) were detected within 72 hours of their arrival.

The most common nationality of arrivals varied across the different categories.

Afghans accounted for the largest proportion of arrivals across the Channel in small boats (17 per cent of the total where nationality was known), Iranians made up the largest group of air arrivals (24 per cent), Albanians accounted for the largest group of port arrivals (20 per cent) and Sudanese made up the largest group of people detected within 72 hours of arrival (23 per cent).

Afghan nationals were the most common group among small boat arrivals in both 2024 (17 per cent) and 2023 (19 per cent), while Albanian was the most common nationality in this group in 2022 (28 per cent) and Iranian was the most common in both 2021 (30 per cent) and 2020 (28 per cent).

Here are the top 20 most common nationalities among all migrants who were detected arriving illegally in the UK in 2024.

– Afghanistan 6,339 (14.5 per cent of total)

– Iran 5,370 (12.3 per cent)

– Syria 4,945 (11.3 per cent)

– Eritrea 3,920 (9.0 per cent)

– Vietnam 3,798 (8.7 per cent)

– Sudan 3,526 (8.1 per cent)

– Iraq 2,462 (5.6 per cent)

– Turkey 2,180 (5.0 per cent)

– Yemen 1,308 (3.0 per cent)

– Kuwait 1,035 (2.4 per cent)

– Albania 825 (1.9 per cent)

– Somalia 780 (1.8 per cent)

– Sri Lanka 704 (1.6 per cent)

– Georgia 657 (1.5 per cent)

– Ethiopia 628 (1.4 per cent)

– India 518 (1.2 per cent)

– Stateless 498 (1.1 per cent)

– Egypt 399 (0.9 per cent)

– Libya 387 (0.9 per cent)

– South Sudan 323 (0.7 per cent)

Note: 1,457 (3.3 per cent) have no nationality currently recorded 1,457