Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's claim that Britain has been 'colonised' by migrants has raised questions about how many people have come to the country.
Britain's seventh-richest man yesterday hit out at those who are draining the country's resources in an extraordinary outburst.
The chemicals boss told how the country is facing political, social and economic challenges following a surge in immigration.
Sir Jim, 73, who currently lives in the mega-rich's tax-free haven of Monaco, told Sky News: 'You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in.
'I mean, the UK has been colonised. It's costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn't it?
'I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it's 70 million. That's 12 million people.'
He also suggested Keir Starmer was 'too nice' to do 'difficult things' to stabilise the country's economy.
The billionaire Ineos founder's comments sparked an angry backlash from the Premier League club's fans, who branded him 'an embarrassment', while the PM called for him to apologise.
Meanwhile, The Manchester United Muslim Supporters' Club accused Sir Jim of fuelling far-right hate speech as well as risking 'legitimising prejudice and deepening division'.
Sir Jim today issued a statement in which he apologised for his 'choice of language' that had 'offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern'.
But how accurate are Sir Jim's claims, and what do the figures really tell us about how many migrants have arrived in the country since Covid?
According to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the estimate of Britain's population in mid-2020 was 66.7 million and 69.5 million in mid-2025.
The country's population was last at 58 million in mid-2000.
A total of 65,922 illegal migrants have reached the United Kingdom in small boats since Sir Keir's time in Downing Street began in July 2024 - that's more than under any other PM in history.
Although Sir Jim, who has a net worth of about £17 billion, may have got his numbers wrong, the latest Census data shows 16 per cent (7 million) of the UK's population was born abroad.
A recent estimate by the ONS suggested 11.4 million people living in England and Wales were non-UK born.
Meanwhile, the number of people immigrating to Britain has outweighed those leaving the country since 1994, with a spike in numbers under Boris Johnson's premiership following the pandemic.
Last week, critics warned that Britain's 'broken' asylum system is creating a 'conveyor belt' to a life on benefits.
It came as figures revealed that despite pledges of a crackdown by ministers, the number of migrants and refugees claiming universal credit has more than doubled since 2022.
A total of 124,833 claimants with refugee status were receiving the payments - which average just over £1,000 a month - according to latest Government figures from last October.
That was on top of another 53,240 people classed as unable to be returned to their home countries because they alleged they would suffer human rights abuses.
In comparison, when the data was first collected in April 2022, there were 64,423 refugees and 3,221 people with humanitarian status receiving the benefit.
The number of refugees with indefinite leave to remain - a status which can be claimed after five years - soared from 95,612 to 218,944 in the same period.
Meanwhile, those given limited leave to remain - to live, work or study for six months to five years - also rose, from 68,883 to 76,898.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions data, three-quarters of refugees and two-thirds with leave to remain were not in work along with 60 per cent of those with humanitarian status.
At the same time, the total number of UK, Irish or EU nationals claiming universal credit rose by 47 per cent to 7,773,162.
In response, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately told the Sunday Express: ‘We’re seeing a conveyor belt from the asylum system to the benefits system.
‘Labour’s failure to stop the boats means the benefits bill for migrants will just keep on going up.
‘Our benefits system can’t cope with the cost of claims from people already in the UK, let alone so many new arrivals.
‘Welfare should prioritise British citizens.’
Asylum seekers cannot access benefits until their claims have been resolved, the DWP stressed, and nor can most migrants on temporary visas.
A Government spokesman said in response: ‘Only 1.5 per cent of universal credit claimants are refugees, and overall the proportion of claimants in this country who are foreign nationals has fallen since October 2024.
The Home Secretary has announced the end to the UK's golden ticket deal for refugees.
Leave to remain will be cut to 30 months; protection made temporary; settlement extended to 20 years - quadruple current length.'