Tracing 'illegal' immigration

[Doodledeedum]

I have an odd question

Is there anyway to trace a relative if they came to the UK illegally?

There's info and records of their death because at some point they did become a legal citizen in the uk but where can I find information on movements with passports perhaps? Or even their presence at a birth certificate registration?

I just need to prove if and when they were in the uk
Illegal or legal citizen not necessarily as important

Thanks

( I have full access to ancestry.COM but nothing been found apart from death records)

If it was early or mid 20th century or earlier you may find them in the passenger lists.

They could be in naturalisation records.

But it depends when they came and where they came from and how they got here. Do you have any more info?

@DNAexpert thanks for your response
This was around 1970? From Cyprus after the civil war

Greek and Turkish people were displaced and I believe said person/people may have gone to the UK illegally
I would assume via plane as a visitor but stayed on

I've checked passenger lists but all are for sea travel?

Might be worth a Google. As Cyprus was once a British protectorate they may have had rights to come to the UK.

1970 is too late for passenger lists I'm afraid

@DuckBee it's because of this I didn't realize that it may have been an illegal stay? Im still in a jam over what to search for

https://hatfulofhistory.wordpress.com/2017/08/20/cypriot-colonial-citizenship-and-uk-immigration-controls-1920s-1950s/

This gives you a flavour.

Did they naturalise? Have you tried the National Archives for Naturalisation (or registration?) records?

It was a bit earlier but I got a Naturalisation Certificate for my relation who came to U.K. just before WWII. I couldn't find any passenger logs etc but the certificate gives you quite a lot of info.

Have a look here:

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/naturalisation-british-citizenship/#5-naturalisation-1949-1986

@DuckBee thank you

@CherryMyBrandy I'm not sure but I will look in to this, thank you very much!