Migration Watch UK
9 March, 2022
1. Over 41,300 people have come to the UK illicitly in boats since the start of 2018. 16,500 of these came in the period January 2018 and to the end of June 2021.[1] Data from a Freedom of Information release show that nearly 90% of those crossing during this period were male.[2]
2. 87.4% of the 16,500 people were recorded as men, while 12.4% were recorded as female. The gender of 21 additional people was not recorded. See tables 1 and 2 below.
Table 1: Arrivals by small boat January 2018 to June 2021, broken down by gender.
| Gender | Arrivals | Share of total whose gender was recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 14412 | 87.4% |
| Female | 2086 | 12.6% |
| Total whose gender was recorded | 16498 | 100% |
Table 2: Arrivals by small boat January 2018 to June 2021, broken down by year and gender.
| Period | Male | Female | Not recorded | Grand total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 273 | 26 | 299 | |
| 2019 | 1554 | 289 | 1843 | |
| 2020 | 7377 | 1083 | 8460 | |
| 2021 (January to June) | 5208 | 688 | 21 | 5917 |
3. The data also showed that 75% of those whose age was recorded were between the ages of 18 and 39, totaling just under 12,400 of the 16,500 people who arrived during the period.
Table 3: Arrivals by small boat, 2018 to June 2021, broken down by age group.
| Age group | Arrivals | Share of those whose age recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 years | 2609 | 16% |
| 18-39 years | 12398 | 75% |
| 40+ years | 1493 | 9% |
| Total | 16500 | 100% |
| 2018 | 299 |
|---|---|
| Under 18 years | 25 |
| 18-39 years | 240 |
| 40+ years | 34 |
| 2019 | 1843 |
|---|---|
| Under 18 years | 308 |
| 18-39 years | 1332 |
| 40+ years | 203 |
| 2020 | 8460 |
|---|---|
| Under 18 years | 1445 |
| 18-39 years | 6191 |
| 40+ years | 824 |
| 2021 | 5898 |
|---|---|
| Under 18 years | 831 |
| 18-39 years | 4635 |
| 40+ years | 432 |
| Not recorded | 19 |