The United Kingdom now has the largest population of illegal immigrants in Europe. The British government continues arresting individuals suspected of smuggling migrants, even as the number of arrivals into the country keeps rising. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is considering further measures, including the introduction of digital ID documents, in the hope that such tools might help manage migration more effectively.

Suspected human traffickers have been arrested in the United Kingdom on charges of facilitating the illegal entry of migrants into the country, and breaching immigration laws.

According to the Home Office, the group – consisting of five men and one woman – is suspected of being part of a smuggling ring that helped more than 200 Botswanan nationals enter the UK illegally over a two-year period.

Upon arrival, the migrants were allegedly provided with false documents and identities to support fraudulent asylum claims. The suspects also reportedly helped place the migrants in care homes, despite their lack of qualifications or medical expertise.

The arrests were carried out across the country, including in Cheltenham, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Bradford. Among those detained is the 37-year-old Botswanan leader of the group.

The raid forms part of the “Plan for Change”, a long-term national development strategy centred on a stable economy, secure borders, and national security.

“The government continues to take firm action against illegal migration and the criminal enterprises that enable it. Through the Plan for Change, we are restoring order to the asylum system, which in recent years has collapsed,”

– Security Minister Dan Jarvis said.

The Home Office stated that nearly 30,000 individuals residing illegally in the UK were deported, representing a 12-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Migrant arrivals in UK at record levels

According to a report published by the National Crime Agency (NCA), two men have been arrested for smuggling migrants into the UK by boat from France. Two people died during the crossing.

The suspects, both Afghan nationals, have been identified as 38-year-old Shah S. and 25-year-old Safiollah M.

The vessel, said to have been carrying 70 individuals, entered UK waters on 21 May. The NCA reported that the overcrowded boat had departed from a beach near Calais early that morning. Shortly after launch, a French coastguard ship pulled a woman and a child from the vessel; both were later pronounced dead.

The British Border Force vessel “Typhoon”, transporting migrants picked up at sea while attempting to cross the English Channel from France, arrives at the port of Dover in southeast England on 9 February 2025. (Photo: Ben STANSALL / AFP)

On one recent day, a record 1,200 migrants reached British shores after crossing the English Channel, arriving in 18 boats from France. The surge prompted renewed calls from the British government urging French authorities to intensify efforts to intercept crossings in shallow waters.

‘In the past year there were more than 30 incidents of boats carrying 80 or more individuals’

Dr Peter Walsh from The Migration Observatory spoke to #BBCBreakfast about new data on the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats https://t.co/O3XbnDMz28 pic.twitter.com/j44mrOXVB8

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) June 4, 2025

Home Office data show that 36,816 people arrived in the UK by small boat in 2024, a 25 per cent rise compared to 2023 (29,437). The highest number of arrivals was recorded in 2022, at 45,774.

Digital ID system proposed to track migrants

In what appears to be an increasingly desperate effort to curb all forms of illegal migration. As port of this effort, Labour’s shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the her party is considering introducing a “digital ID” system to monitor individuals who overstay their visas and are no longer entitled to remain in the UK.

The proposed system would help track migrants lacking documentation and bring untaxed “off-the-books” or „under-the-table” employment under legal and fiscal oversight.

Illegal migrants frequently work undeclared, particularly in construction, hospitality, agriculture, and domestic services. Such jobs are typically paid in cash, with income unreported and untaxed. Among the sectors most affected by undeclared labour are construction and domestic work.

While it is difficult to determine the exact number of undocumented migrants in the UK, the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory estimated in 2017 that between 800,000 and 1.2 million people were living in the country without valid residence permits.

According to the Migration Observatory, roughly half of the undocumented population originates from the Asia-Pacific region, while around 20 percent come from Sub-Saharan Africa.

This makes the United Kingdom home to the largest illegal immigrant population in Europe.

An estimated 25 percent of all undocumented migrants residing in the 32 European Union and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries live in the UK.

In April, around 40 Labour MPs signed an open letter asserting that digital identification could help reduce undeclared work, which they believe is a major incentive for migrants to enter the country illegally or overstay their visas.

In a statement last month regarding the government’s white paper on restoring control over the immigration system, it was noted that net migration reached a record high of over 900,000 under the previous administration. That figure was recorded in 2023 and had decreased slightly by 2024, just months before Labour assumed power.

Nigel Farage and anti-immigration party gain traction

Nigel Farage has repeatedly demanded an end to illegal immigration following the arrival of millions of people into Britain. Just one week after his party’s sweeping success in local elections, the Reform UK leader declared in a VE Day speech that mass migration had resulted in “cultural damage” and “fractured communities” across the country.

“We must stop this. Over the past 20 years, our population has grown by 10 million. It has diminished everyone’s quality of life, caused cultural damage, shattered our communities, our patriotism, and our faith,”

– he emphasised.

It’s been 12 months since I made my return to politics.

A lot has happened since then — and we’re just getting started! pic.twitter.com/uyUmsUKhYM

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) June 3, 2025