People from different countries enter the developed countries illegally for better living conditions and employment, raising the question of financial loss, security, and crime in the country. The impact of illegal immigration has been seen in several countries, including the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Germany.
Illegal immigrants mainly enter countries, including America and Europe, through land borders and sea borders without visas, and entrants arrive without documents or illegally or overstay without official status, which the country sees as violating the law.
Top 9 Countries with the Most Illegal Immigrants
| Country | Total Immigrants (2020) | Illegal Immigrants |
| United States 🇺🇸 | 50.6M | 11M |
| Italy 🇮🇹 | 6.4M | 458K |
| United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | 9.4M | 674K |
| Spain 🇪🇸 | 6.8M | 430K |
| Germany 🇩🇪 | 15.8M | 650K |
| Canada 🇨🇦 | 8M | 260K |
| France 🇫🇷 | 8.5M | 250K |
| Netherlands 🇳🇱 | 2.4M | 40K |
| Poland 🇵🇱 | 817K | 19K |
(source: Visual Capitalist)
Impact of illegal immigration in the US and Europe
United States
The United States has the world’s longest international border with Canada (5,525 miles) and the border with Mexico at 1,954 miles, a large border that causes many people to illegally enter the United States each year. As a result, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in 2024, 198,929 people were arrested while attempting to cross the U.S.-Canada border illegally, and meanwhile along the US-Mexico border, nearly 17,000 criminal noncitizens were apprehended as of September 2024.
Government data shows that more than 500 million people enter the United States each year, including about 330 million foreign nationals. However, it is not certain how many people from other countries attempt or succeed in entering the United States illegally.
Illegal immigrants in the United States are employed in a variety of jobs, such as construction, waste management, and agriculture, that contribute to the economy. And there are downsides, with government data showing that many of them are involved in crimes like robbery, murder, and overall violence.
President-elect Donald Trump promised to begin mass deportations of illegal immigrants within 24 hours of taking office after returning to the White House on January 20. Then until February 2025, the United States under Trump stepped up deportation efforts by identifying undocumented immigrants from several countries, including Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, India, and Ecuador.
The US move seeks to address concerns about the country’s national security and economic impact by emphasizing illegal immigration, and key steps include ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of countries such as Haiti and Venezuela (which expires on April 7, 2025), which puts many at risk of deportation.
Deporting 11 million illegal immigrants from the U.S. under the Trump administration would cost about $315 billion at a time, roughly equal to the GDP of many countries. On the other hand, according to the American Immigration Council, mass deportations can have a significant economic impact, potentially reducing the nation’s annual GDP by 4.2% to 6.8%.
In 2024, the impact of undocumented immigrants in the United States concerns the nation. According to CT Insider, about 58% of the state of Connecticut’s 113,000 undocumented residents lack health insurance, resulting in increased uncompensated care costs for hospitals and clinics, demonstrating the strain undocumented immigrants place on public resources.
Many believe that the influx of children of undocumented immigrants into public schools contributes to overcrowding and increased education costs and can impact the education of children in their home countries. But the United States has liberalized education, with the result that public schools are legally obligated to educate all children, regardless of the children’s immigration status.
Illegal immigration is also an important issue in terms of crime and public safety. But while illegal immigrants have far fewer crimes than U.S. native-born citizens, a Brazilian illegally living in Massachusetts was arrested on rape charges, raising questions about the country’s citizen protections.
In addition, government assistance to undocumented immigrants may have a financial impact on the country. Critics say the money spent on health care, education, and social services for illegal immigrants can be a burden on state budgets.
But undocumented nonbelievers contribute to the U.S. economy, education, and society. But questions remain on the country’s security.
Arrest of non-US persons with criminal convictions
The criminal noncitizen has been convicted of one or more crimes in the United States or another country before being apprehended by the US Border Patrol (USBP).
| Arrest Type | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24YTD |
| U.S. Border Patrol Criminal Arrests of Non-US Citizens | 8,531 | 6,698 | 4,269 | 2,438 | 10,763 | 12,028 | 15,267 | 17,048 |
(source: U.S. custom and border protection)
The United States is home to more than 52 million immigrants; according to Visual Capitalist, it is estimated that 22% of immigrants in America do not have legal status.
On the other hand, according to Pew Research Center data, in 2022, Mexico was the top country for immigrants to the United States in the past year, with nearly 150,000 people. India was the next largest source of migrants with about 145,000 and China about 90,000. In addition, Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil, and Canada each received about 50,000 to 60,000 new immigrants.
Europe
Like the United States, illegal immigrants in other European countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Germany, contribute to the economy, the social sphere, and education but remain a threat to the nation’s public security.
On August 3, 2024, three young girls were stabbed during a children’s dance event in Southport, England. According to the AP, false news spread across social media that the attacker was a Muslim refugee, followed by a rise in anti-immigrant and Islamophobic sentiment, which culminated in violent protests and riots across Rotherham, Middlesbrough, Liverpool, and Belfast.
In a report on the UK Parliament website, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom Anne McIntosh stated that “Up to 745,000 illegal migrants are currently in the UK. One in 100 of the population-more than in any other European country is a migrant in this country. Against that background, and with an alleged ÂŁ6 billion overspend on asylum seekers, is it the Government’s policy to continue to house migrants in hotels for another three years?”
At the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 14, 2025, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused European leaders of stifling free speech and failing to curb illegal immigration. The day before Vance’s speech, Afghan asylum seekers carried out a terrorist attack in Munich on February 13, killing a 2-year-old girl and her mother, raising questions about the nation’s security.
According to Government of the United Kingdom data, 19,335 people entered immigration detention in the year ending September 2024 and the number of cases of people detained increased by 7% compared to the previous year.
According to the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, during 2016, EU countries reported new arrivals from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, many of whom turned to criminal networks of smugglers for help.
Exact figures for the number of illegal immigrants across Europe in 2024 are not yet available. However, data from 2023 and early 2024 showed signs of irregular entry of illegal immigrants into some countries in Europe. The information summarizes:
| Country | Number of non-EU citizens staying illegally in 2023 | Irregular arrival until October in 2024 |
| Germany 🇩🇪 | 264,000 | Data not specified |
| Italy 🇮🇹 | 195,000 | 53,000 (by sea) |
| Hungary đź‡đź‡ş | 160,000 | Data not specified |
| Spain 🇪🇸 | Data not specified | 42, 000 (by sea) |
| Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | Data not specified | 6,340 (by land) |
(source: Migration and asylum in Europe – 2024 edition and Statista)
The number of migrant deaths before crossing to the Europe and US
Many have lost their lives and disappeared as migrants enter the United States and Europe, mainly through land and sea borders. As a result, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 28,000 migrants have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014, mostly while trying to reach Europe, and this figure includes the most recent deaths in 2023 and 2024.
IOM data shows that more than 2,200 migrants are estimated to have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean in the hope of reaching Europe in 2024.
On the other hand, according to the US Border Patrol report, since the introduction of the “Prevention Through Deterrence” policy in 1994, 10,000 migrants have died, and according to local rights groups, the number may be as high as 80,000, and many people are missing.
According to the U.S. Border Patrol, in 2024, 560 immigrants died, and in 2023, 704 immigrants died at the U.S. border.
