London’s Illegal Migration Problem: The Shocking Truth the Government Doesn’t Want You to Discuss

The government has quickly pushed back against a report in the Daily Telegraph claiming that one in 12 people living in London might be here illegally. They dismissed it outright, calling it flawed and outdated.

According to a Home Office spokesperson, the research is based on old data from a previous government, making it unreliable.

While it’s true that the data is old, some of it from 2017, it still sheds light on a problem that affects us all. It’s likely an underestimate of the real numbers, but even so, it shows how illegal migration puts pressure on communities, public services, and utilities like water, electricity, and schools. Whether people agree or not, everyone living in the country legally or not relies on these services.

The report itself was created for Thames Water to help the company plan for demand. The Daily Telegraph obtained it through a request similar to a freedom of information request.

The research was carried out by a group called Edge Analytics at Leeds University, using data from various sources, including the Office for National Statistics, the London School of Economics, and even National Insurance registrations over nine years. Their findings estimated that about a million people are in the UK illegally, with the majority 60% living in London.

This raises important questions. First, most of these people didn’t arrive on small boats, which the government often highlights as a major issue. Instead, they came on work, study, or visitor visas and simply didn’t leave when their time was up.

For example, in one year alone, the UK issued hundreds of thousands of visas: over 440,000 for students, 450,000 for workers, 87,000 for family reunions, and more than 2 million for visitors. While most people respect their visa limits, even a small percentage overstaying adds up to big numbers over the years.

The real issue is whether the Border Agency has a system in place to keep track of people when their visas expire. A proper system would monitor who enters and exits the country, ensuring those who overstay are identified.

Second, there’s the question of why there aren’t reliable, up-to-date government figures on illegal immigration. Official estimates haven’t been made since 2005—20 years ago.

The government argues that it’s difficult to define and count people who are in the country illegally, but many would say it’s more a case of not wanting to know the true scale of the problem.

If they had accurate numbers, they’d have to face the reality and take action. That would mean removing far more than the 16,400 illegal migrants deported since this government came into office and admitting that the issue isn’t just about smugglers and small boats.

This avoidance isn’t new. The previous Conservative government failed to address the collapse of immigration control, leaving this as an ongoing issue. It could even be argued that if current ministers wanted to, they could turn this into an opportunity to fix the problem and show they’re taking responsibility for past failures.

One solution, proposed years ago by former Tory leader Michael Howard, was to introduce national identity cards to track who is allowed to be here. Back then, the idea was mocked, but it’s starting to look like a practical way to manage the issue.

The Thames Water report has drawn attention to a problem that many people know exists but rarely see acknowledged. If the government believes the report’s estimates are wrong, it should provide its own data.

Instead, they seem to want to sweep it under the rug and avoid the conversation altogether. But voters care about this issue, and they won’t forget it when the next election comes around. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away, and people will expect real answers sooner or later.