The five most common nationalities of migrants who illegally entered the UK in 2024 have been revealed.
According to Home Office data, 15 per cent of the 43,630 migrants who arrived in the UK were Afghan nationals.
After Afghans, Iranians represented 12 percent of illegal arrivals, with Syrians following closely at 11 per cent.
Eritreans and Vietnamese nationals each made up 9 per cent of the total, with 3,920 and 3,798 individuals detected, respectively.
The data also shows that the nationality of 1,457 arrivals (3 percent) was not recorded.
Afghan and Iranian nationals were also the most common to arrive illegally in 2023, making up 17 per cent and 14 per cent of arrivals respectively.
The number of Vietnamese arrivals rose from 4 per cent in 2023 to 9 per cent in 2024, while Syrian migrants went up from 7 per cent to 11 per cent.
Meanwhile, Turkish nationals accounted for 9 per cent of arrivals in 2023 and only 5 per cent in 2024.
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The number of illegal migrants arriving to Britain in 2024 was 43,630 - up 19 per cent from 36,699 in 2023.
The majority of migrants entering the country illegally last year did so by boat across the English Channel, accounting for 84 percent of the total.
Eight per cent arrived by air, and 1 per cent through UK ports, while the remaining 7 per cent were detected within 72 hours of arrival.
The most common nationalities of arrivals varied across the different methods of entry.
Afghans made up the largest proportion of Channel arrivals by small boats (17 per cent of the total where nationality was known), Iranians were the largest group among air arrivals (24 per cent), Albanians accounted for the largest share of port arrivals (20 per cent), and Sudanese represented the largest group detected within 72 hours of arrival (23 per cent).
Afghans were the largest group in small boat arrivals in both 2024 (17 percent) and 2023 (19 percent), while Albanian nationals were the most common nationality in this group in 2022 (28 percent).
Iranians made up the largest group in 2021 (30 percent) and 2020 (28 percent).
The top 20 most common nationalities amongst illegal migrants is as follows:
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According to Home Office data, 15 per cent of the 43,630 migrants who arrived in the UK were Afghan nationals.
After Afghans, Iranians represented 12 percent of illegal arrivals, with Syrians following closely at 11 per cent.
Eritreans and Vietnamese nationals each made up 9 per cent of the total, with 3,920 and 3,798 individuals detected, respectively.
The data also shows that the nationality of 1,457 arrivals (3 percent) was not recorded.
Afghan and Iranian nationals were also the most common to arrive illegally in 2023, making up 17 per cent and 14 per cent of arrivals respectively.
The number of Vietnamese arrivals rose from 4 per cent in 2023 to 9 per cent in 2024, while Syrian migrants went up from 7 per cent to 11 per cent.
Meanwhile, Turkish nationals accounted for 9 per cent of arrivals in 2023 and only 5 per cent in 2024.
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The number of illegal migrants arriving to Britain in 2024 was 43,630 - up 19 per cent from 36,699 in 2023.
The majority of migrants entering the country illegally last year did so by boat across the English Channel, accounting for 84 percent of the total.
Eight per cent arrived by air, and 1 per cent through UK ports, while the remaining 7 per cent were detected within 72 hours of arrival.
The most common nationalities of arrivals varied across the different methods of entry.
Afghans made up the largest proportion of Channel arrivals by small boats (17 per cent of the total where nationality was known), Iranians were the largest group among air arrivals (24 per cent), Albanians accounted for the largest share of port arrivals (20 per cent), and Sudanese represented the largest group detected within 72 hours of arrival (23 per cent).
Afghans were the largest group in small boat arrivals in both 2024 (17 percent) and 2023 (19 percent), while Albanian nationals were the most common nationality in this group in 2022 (28 percent).
Iranians made up the largest group in 2021 (30 percent) and 2020 (28 percent).
The top 20 most common nationalities amongst illegal migrants is as follows:
- 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)
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