The multicultural hub that is modern-day London may be home to nearly 600,000 illegal migrants, or around one in 12 people living in the UK capital city, uncovered estimates suggest.
A study conducted by Edge Analytics and Leeds University on behalf of Thames Water, the top water utility company for London, found that there was a large “hidden” population of illegal migrants living in the capital.
According to its findings, which The Telegraph unearthed through freedom of information requests, at the low end of its estimates, at least 390,355 illegals live in London, and up to 585,533 at the top end
However, some have suggested that the study may have undercounted the current reality, as it did not take into account the more than 100,000 illegals that have arrived by boat after crossing the English Channel from France since 2017.
The study, which sought to provide the water utility with better information on providing water to the people of London, was based on data from the Office for National Statistics, the London School of Economics, Pew Research, in conjunction with National Insurance registrations for non-EU foreign nationals over nine years.
The report found that overall, over a million illegals are living in the United Kingdom, 60 per cent of whom reside in London, or around one in 12 of the city’s estimated 7 million people population.
While the study was not intended for public consumption, it provides a rare look into the state of illegal migration in London, given that the Home Office refuses to publish estimates on the number of illegals living in the country.
The scale of London’s illegal migrant problem may explain, in part at least, the soaring cost of living in the city, with exceptionally high demand pushing average monthly rents to record highs of over £2,200 ($2,710) last year, compared to the national average of around £1,300 ($1,600).
Additionally, the cost of supporting so-called asylum seekers, many of whom apply after entering the country illegally, has continued to rise, placing more strain on social services and the British taxpayer.
According to an October report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the cost of housing and support for asylum seekers rose from £17,000 per migrant in 2019/20 to around £41,000 in 2023/24.
It may also be a contributing factor to the crime problem facing London, with an analysis last year finding that migrants were over a quarter more likely to be imprisoned than the native-born population.
However, like the refusal to publish data on the number of illegals in the country, successive governments have refused to disclose the nationality or visa and asylum status of criminals in Britain.
Commenting on London’s illegal migrant crisis, Migration Watch UK Chairman Alp Mehmet said that it will have “colossal implications for utility and local authority planning. Utilities, housing, the NHS, GP surgeries and schools will all come under severe pressure, further risking community cohesion.”
The deputy leader of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, Richard Tice, added: “One in 12 people in London are here illegally, probably working illegally using taxpayer-funded public infrastructure and services.
“It is totally unacceptable. It’s another reason why we need to properly control our borders.”
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