MigrationWatchdog

Illegal immigration to the UK, measured.

An independent watchdog tracking irregular arrivals, what the asylum system costs, foreign national offenders, and the state's failure to control the border — built entirely on official statistics. Every number on this site links to its official source.

1,176
small-boat arrivals, latest week
week ending 2 August 2026 · source
14,561
arrivals this year so far
1 January to 6 August 2026 · source
48,758
awaiting an initial asylum decision
as at 31 March 2026 · source
20,885
asylum seekers in hotels
as at 31 Mar 2026 · source
9,723
enforced returns in a year
year ending March 2026 · source
£4bn
asylum support spend in a year
FY 2024-25 · source

Small-boat crossings: this year against the last two

202420252026
JFMAMJJASOND41k02024 — 36,816 by day 36620242025 — 41,472 by day 36620252026 — 14,561 by day 2192026
Cumulative detected small-boat arrivals by day of year. Small boat activity in the English Channel — time series (Home Office), 1 January 2024 to 6 August 2026. Provisional operational data.

Arrivals, 2025

41,472

people detected arriving by small boat in 2025 — and 99% of 2025 arrivals went on to claim asylum or receive a modern-slavery (NRM) referral.

arrival years 2018 to 2025 · source

Enforced returns, YE March 2026

9,723

enforced returns of people with no right to be in the UK — across all cohorts, not only small-boat arrivals. Shown for scale, not as a like-for-like ratio: the two figures cover different groups and periods.

year ending March 2026 · source
Illegal arrivals

14,561 small-boat arrivals so far this year, tracked weekly against prior years.

The asylum system

48,758 awaiting an initial decision — down from a peak of 175,457 — with grant rates including small-boat claims by nationality.

Costs

Asylum accommodation contracts re-estimated from £4.5bn to £15.3bn over ten years — every figure a verified NAO citation.

Crime & justice

10,134 foreign nationals in prison; 19,779 FNOs subject to deportation action living in the community.

Integration & culture

English language, extremism referrals, inquiry findings and public opinion — official sources, quoted exactly.

Local impact

Asylum accommodation in every UK local authority, from dispersal to contingency hotels.

Small boats data as of

Asylum data as of

Crime data as of

Sources for this page