Extent of Illegal Immigration in Europe Exposed in New Report

A new report has estimated the number of illegal immigrants present in 12 countries across Europe.

However, the true figure could prove higher, as the report does not count asylum seekers in its data.

It attempted to quantify the number of illegal immigrants in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain. and the UK.

The report found that the UK was home to the most illegal immigrants of any country, with up to 745,000 illegal immigrants believed to be living in Britain, accounting for one in 100 of the population.

The estimated UK population was 68.3 million as of mid-2023.

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The research, published on Oct. 7, estimated the number of illegal immigrants in the UK is higher than Germany (up to 700,000), France (300,000), Italy (458,000), and Spain (469,000).

Of the nations studied, Finland was found to have the smallest estimated illegal immigrant population, with up to 5,000 believed to be in the country.

Compared with a study from 2008, the research from MIrreM indicates that greater numbers of immigrants are now in Austria, Germany, and Spain compared to 16 years ago.

In four countries, the estimated illegal immigrant population remained the same–Belgium, France, Italy, and the UK.

And in five, Finland, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Poland, it declined.

However, the report indicates that in those countries where the illegal immigrant population remained the same, regular migration has noticeably increased.

“Over the periods in question, the estimated illegal immigrant population in Belgium, France, Italy and the UK remained constant in both number and as a share of the total population, but declined as a share of the foreign-born population,” according to the report.

“Put another way, the number of authorized immigrants who were born in countries outside of relevant free movement protocols grew faster than the total population and the estimated irregular migrant population in these countries since 2008.”

This marries up with figures published in Britain on Oct. 8 by the UK Office for National Statistics, which showed the population had increased by 1 percent in 2023, mainly due to immigration.

It also indicates that, across the continent, routes for migrants to enter have shifted, which corroborates data from Frontex, the EU’s border and coastguard agency.

Particularly, the increase in Spain correlates with Frontex data showing a spike in entries via a route from West Africa to the Canary Islands.

The route has seen a 154 percent surge this year, with 30,616 people arriving in the Canaries in the first nine months, according to data from the European Union border agency Frontex.

Spain estimates that as many as 150,000 more migrants from Africa may be set to make the crossing in the coming months.

The change is believed to have been caused by a clampdown on illegal immigrants making the crossing from Libya to Italy, by Giorgia Meloni’s government in Rome.

Meloni pledged a crackdown on illegal immigration after taking office in 2022, aiming to deter migrants from paying people smuggling gangs to ferry them across the Mediterranean.

Her conservative government has signed deals with individual African countries to block departures, imposed limits on the work of NGO rescue ships, and cracked down on traffickers.

Rome also has signed a deal with Tirana, under which some adult male migrants rescued at sea trying to reach Italy would be taken to Albania while their asylum claims are processed.

The Oxford researchers said they did not believe that the overall numbers had increased over recent years but, said governments should follow the example of countries such as Italy and the United States, which aim to assess and record the size of their illegal immigrant population.

The research will form the basis for a new public database which will bring together and assess the latest estimates of how many illegal immigrants live in European countries and North America.