Britain has the most illegal migrants in Europe – with over 745,000 believed to still be here

MORE amerciable migrants are successful Britain than immoderate different European nation, a survey has found.

Researchers judge arsenic galore arsenic 745,000 are inactive present — capable to rival the colonisation of Leeds.

The fig is equivalent to 1 successful 100 of the full UK colonisation and much than ­double the 300,000 successful France.

It is besides up of the highest estimation for Germany, which astatine 700,000 has the second-largest amerciable population.

The landmark probe was compiled by 18 institutions, including Oxford University’s Compas migration survey centre.

Study chiefs estimated the fig of illegal migrants successful Britain arsenic betwixt 594,000 and 745,000.

The fig covers those who entered illegally, overstayed connected a visa, oregon “‘disappeared” off-grid.

Experts suggested the size of the UK’s amerciable migrant population could bespeak the worth of the alleged “black economy”.

The probe is portion of a caller nationalist database to estimation amerciable migrant populations astir the world.

Denis Kierans, elder researcher astatine Compas, said: “These are radical surviving and moving successful the UK, but extracurricular the tax and benefits system.

“The authorities is missing retired connected their contributions to the nationalist purse portion they extremity up astatine hazard of exploitation and destitution.”

The fig comes connected apical of the asylum backlog of 224,742.