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<p>The Home Office publishes data on the number of people recorded being detected
on, or shortly after, arrival to the UK on various routes in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/irregular-migration-to-the-uk-statistics"
target="_blank">Irregular Migration to the UK</a> quarterly report. The latest data
on selected methods of entry are published in table Irr_01 of the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1098899/irregular-migration-to-the-UK-data-tables-year-ending-june-2022.ods"
target="_blank">Irregular migration to the UK data tables</a>. The latest data go
up to the end of June 2022.</p><p>These statistics should not be used to infer the
size of the irregular population in the UK, nor the total number of people entering
the UK irregularly. For a number of reasons, it is not possible to know the exact
size of the irregular population, or the number entering irregularly, and so we have
not produced any official estimates for this number.</p><p>This is because:</p><ul><li>some
irregular migrants will successfully evade border controls and remain in the UK undetected</li><li>some
migrants who enter the UK regularly may subsequently become ‘irregular’ migrants –
for example if they overstay a visa (it should be noted that there are a number of
ways in which a migrant’s departure from the UK may legitimately not be recorded on
the system)</li><li>the data sources available count the number of recorded detections
- in some instances the same person may be detected multiple times, either on the
same route or across different routes (such individuals will be counted multiple times
in the statistics)</li><li>some migrants who enter the UK irregularly may subsequently
become ‘regular’ migrants – for example, following a successful asylum application</li></ul><p>Figures
on detections may be impacted by the levels of operational activity at the border
and overseas, so should not be used to infer levels of irregular migration. Changes
in detection could be a result of changes in operational activity, as well as changes
in the number of people attempting to enter the UK irregularly and recording practices.</p>
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