REVEALED: 97 per cent of illegal migrants coming to UK in small boats have REMAINED in Britain

The latest Home Office data from the report 'Immigration system statistics year ending June 2024', found that out of 127,834 migrants arriving on British soil, only 3,788 have voluntarily left or been forced to return.

Out of the total of 127,837 migrants, the number of males heavily outweighs females with 109,848 male migrants entering compared to 15,379 females and unknown people.

Additionally, some 80 per cent (102,219) of these male migrants are under the age of 40.

According to the Home Office, the top 20 nationalities of migrants crossing from France in the last three years are:

1. Iran: 23,134

2. Afghanistan: 18,595

3. Iraq: 16,337

4. Albania: 14,589

5. Syria: 9,958

6. Eritrea: 9,100

7. Sudan: 6,506

8. Vietnam: 5,587

9. Turkey: 5,202

10. Egypt: 2,604

11. India: 2,233

12. Kuwait: 1,654

13. Ethiopia: 1,516

14. Georgia: 1,017

15. Somalia: 841

16. Yemen: 722

17. Sri Lanka: 694

18. Pakistan: 653

19. Libya: 639

20. South Sudan: 602

The above results show the figures from the last three years, however, the rankings have changed in the last 18 months.

In the latest time period, the order is Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Eritrea, Vietnam, Iraq, Sudan, India and Albania.

In the case of Albania, 14,589 Albanians have used small boats to enter the UK since 2018. In 2024, only 2 per cent of Albanian illegal migrants have been granted some form of leave to stay, thanks to the returns agreement negotiated by Rishi Sunak’s government last year.

The Home Office data files do not reveal how many small boats over time have been returned, but we do know the numbers overall for Albanian returns, whether they entered by small boats or other means.

Home Office data reveals 39 per cent of all returns of illegal migrants (from all methods of entry) in the 12 months to June 2024 were Albanians.

The Home Office said: “The increase in enforced returns in the latest year was largely driven by returns of Albanian nationals which increased from 1,509 in the year ending June 2023 to 2,822 in the year ending June 2024 (accounting for 39 per cent of returns in that period). This follows the signing of the agreement in December 2022 between the UK and Albanian governments to deter and disrupt illegal migration and criminal networks.”

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Excluding Albanians from the total of all boat migrants would significantly reduce the percentage of all boat migrants deported, from its already-low level of 2.98 per cent.

It comes after a record 973 migrants arrived in 17 boats this weekend, which was the highest daily total so far this year.

According to the Home Office, this brought the total number for the year to 26,612 people in 503 boats.

The crossings came the same day as French authorities said four people including a two-year-old boy died while crossing the English Channel trying to reach the UK.

The total number of arrivals in 2024 so far is now higher than at the same point last year, when 25,330 migrants had reached the UK.

But it is still lower than at the same point in 2022 when 33,586 people had made the crossing.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This data refers to crossings and returns under the previous government.

“The new government has begun delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity to remove people with no right to be in the UK and ensure the rules are enforced.

“Through our new Border Security Command, we will stop these journeys at the source by strengthening our global partnerships and enhancing our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute the vile people smuggling gangs.”