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Undocumented Migrants

Asked by Sir John HayesConservativeHome OfficeTabled Answered 17 September 2025UIN 75928

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have entered the UK illegally using forged (a) passports and (b) visas in the last five years.

Answered by Alex Norris

We do not hold or commission estimates of the number of individuals who may have entered the UK illegally using forged passports or visas over the last five years.

However, the Home Office does publish statistics on irregular migration, which include data on Inadequately Documented Arrivals (IDAs). IDAs refer to passengers arriving in the UK by air who are either undocumented, travelling with fraudulent documents, or without the correct documentation required for travel or entry.

This data can be found here: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

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