The United Kingdom recorded 531 detected cases involving Nigerians who entered or attempted to enter the country through illegal or irregular routes between 2018 and the first quarter of 2026, according to official figures from the UK Home Office.
The statistics, published in March 2026, cover only detected cases. The Home Office noted that the actual number of people who may have entered undetected remains unknown.
Most Nigerians Stopped at Airports
The data reveals that 297 Nigerians were identified after arriving at UK airports without valid travel documents. Another 175 were detected crossing the English Channel in small boats, 46 were found inside the UK after entry, and 13 were intercepted at border ports.
Unlike the overall trend where small boats accounted for 197,074 of 269,739 illegal entry detections (over 73%), Nigerians were more likely to be detected through airport arrivals.
Nigeria Ranks 10th in Africa
Among African countries, Nigeria ranked 10th for detected illegal entries. Eritrea topped the list with 27,368, followed by Sudan (20,508), Somalia (6,270), Ethiopia (5,105), Egypt (3,557), Libya (1,823), South Sudan (1,289), Algeria (787), and Chad (629). Globally, Nigeria ranked 29th, while Iran had the highest detections at 45,442.
Low Asylum Success for Small-Boat Arrivals
Nigerians arriving by small boat had one of the lowest asylum success rates. Out of 107 applications receiving an initial decision, 18 were granted protection and 89 refused, a grant rate of 16.8%. This compares to an overall 59.6% protection rate for all nationalities using the small-boat route.
The Home Office reported that from 2018 to March 2026, around 197,000 people were detected arriving on small boats. About 95% applied for asylum, with roughly 60% of initial decisions granting protection.
Demographic Breakdown
Of the 531 detected Nigerians, 407 were male. The largest age group was 25–39 years (259 individuals), followed by 40 and above (121), and under 17 (62). The highest number of detections occurred in 2022 with 92 cases.
Yearly breakdown: 2018 – 36; 2019 – 83; 2020 – 58; 2021 – 87; 2022 – 92; 2023 – 57; 2024 – 61; 2025 – 46; first quarter of 2026 – 11.
Trafficking Referrals
Of 167 Nigerians arriving by small boat between 2018 and December 2025, 59 were referred to the UK's National Referral Mechanism as possible victims of modern slavery or human trafficking. The highest number of referrals came in 2024 with 19, followed by 14 in 2022 and nine in 2023.
UK Tightens Immigration Rules
The Home Office linked the figures to a sharp rise in small-boat crossings. Arrivals increased from 299 in 2018 to 45,774 in 2022, fell to 29,437 in 2023, then rose again to 41,472 in 2025. In response, the UK introduced the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, and committed £662 million to France between 2026 and 2029 to help stop Channel crossings.
