Telegraph reports London may contain over 600,000 unauthorized immigrants
A study has estimated that over 600,000 illegal migrants reside in London, making up approximately one in every 12 residents. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
According to a recent study reported by The Telegraph, more than 600,000 illegal migrants are currently residing in London. This number accounts for approximately 60% of the over one million undocumented immigrants estimated to be living throughout the UK.
The study, which was acquired by the newspaper through freedom of information laws regarding the environment, provided estimates ranging from 390,355 illegal migrants at the lower end, to 585,533 at the upper end, with a median of 487,944 for the entire city.
Commissioned by Thames Water, a private utility company, the research aimed to evaluate the number of concealed service users to better accommodate demand.
Overall, the study, conducted by Edge Analytics along with demographic and data experts from Leeds University, anticipates that over a million illegal migrants are living in Britain. It also indicated that many of these undocumented individuals entered the UK for work, study, or as visitors but subsequently overstayed their visas.
The analysis utilized national estimates of illegal migrants from sources such as the Pew Research Center, the London School of Economics, and the Office for National Statistics. Researchers also analyzed nine years’ worth of National Insurance registrations for non-EU foreign nationals to assess "irregular" migrant numbers in each borough of London.
In terms of government response, the Home Office has not provided comprehensive data on illegal migration in the UK, offering only figures on the number of illegals who have arrived since 2018 via the English Channel. By December 2024, over 150,000 migrants had crossed the Channel in small boats, with nearly 37,000 arriving last year, according to the Home Office.
In November, it was reported by The Times that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was engaged in discussions with officials from Türkiye, Vietnam, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq regarding potential financial agreements to help reduce the number of migrants seeking to reach the UK. “Anything else we can do to stop people leaving in the first place is the right thing,” the premier reportedly stated.
Meanwhile, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper unveiled plans in August to implement a series of measures aimed at combating illegal immigration and enhancing border security. These measures included increased enforcement, return flights, expanding detention capacity, and imposing sanctions on employers who hire undocumented workers. Critics, however, have denounced these policies as “a waste of taxpayer money,” claiming they lack details and fail to respect “the dignity and humanity of migrants.”
Lastly, a survey conducted by Ipsos Group in August indicated that two-thirds of Britons believe that immigration policy played a role in the surge of right-wing riots following the tragic incident where a British teenager of Rwandan descent killed three young girls and injured ten others in Southport.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
The study, which was acquired by the newspaper through freedom of information laws regarding the environment, provided estimates ranging from 390,355 illegal migrants at the lower end, to 585,533 at the upper end, with a median of 487,944 for the entire city.
Commissioned by Thames Water, a private utility company, the research aimed to evaluate the number of concealed service users to better accommodate demand.
Overall, the study, conducted by Edge Analytics along with demographic and data experts from Leeds University, anticipates that over a million illegal migrants are living in Britain. It also indicated that many of these undocumented individuals entered the UK for work, study, or as visitors but subsequently overstayed their visas.
The analysis utilized national estimates of illegal migrants from sources such as the Pew Research Center, the London School of Economics, and the Office for National Statistics. Researchers also analyzed nine years’ worth of National Insurance registrations for non-EU foreign nationals to assess "irregular" migrant numbers in each borough of London.
In terms of government response, the Home Office has not provided comprehensive data on illegal migration in the UK, offering only figures on the number of illegals who have arrived since 2018 via the English Channel. By December 2024, over 150,000 migrants had crossed the Channel in small boats, with nearly 37,000 arriving last year, according to the Home Office.
In November, it was reported by The Times that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was engaged in discussions with officials from Türkiye, Vietnam, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq regarding potential financial agreements to help reduce the number of migrants seeking to reach the UK. “Anything else we can do to stop people leaving in the first place is the right thing,” the premier reportedly stated.
Meanwhile, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper unveiled plans in August to implement a series of measures aimed at combating illegal immigration and enhancing border security. These measures included increased enforcement, return flights, expanding detention capacity, and imposing sanctions on employers who hire undocumented workers. Critics, however, have denounced these policies as “a waste of taxpayer money,” claiming they lack details and fail to respect “the dignity and humanity of migrants.”
Lastly, a survey conducted by Ipsos Group in August indicated that two-thirds of Britons believe that immigration policy played a role in the surge of right-wing riots following the tragic incident where a British teenager of Rwandan descent killed three young girls and injured ten others in Southport.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
