The United Kingdom said it recorded 531 detections of Nigerians entering the country through illegal routes between 2018 and the first quarter of 2026.
This was as 297 Nigerians were flagged at airports as inadequately documented air arrivals, and the rest through the English Channel.
The data placed Nigeria 10th among African nationalities in detected illegal entries, official Home Office data obtained by The PUNCH shows.
The figures are drawn from the UK Home Office’s immigration system statistics data tables on illegal entry routes to the UK published in March 2026.
The data covers the first quarter of 2018 through the first quarter of 2026.
