India has registered 81 per cent increase in the number of its citizens living illegally in the US in 2007, even as immigration from Mexico continues to dominate the unauthorized population growth.

According to the Department of Homeland Security the latest statistics on ‘illegal immigrants’ shows that in 2007 the estimated population of Indians living illegally in the United States was 220,000 compared to 120,000 in the year 2000, thus recording one of the highest percentage increase.

An estimated 11.8 million unauthorized immigrants were living in America in January 2007 compared to 8.5 million in 2000. The unauthorized population increased by 3.3 million between 2000 and 2007 while the annual average increase during this period was 470,000.

Nearly 4.2 million (35 per cent) of the total 11.8 million unauthorized residents in 2007 had entered in 2000 or later. An estimated 7.0 million (59 per cent) were from Mexico.

California remained the leading state of residence for the illegal population in 2007 with 2.8 million, followed by Texas with 1.7 million and then Florida with nearly 1 million.

The DHS statistics show that Californias share of the national total declined from 30 per cent in 2000 to 24 per cent in 2007 but the greatest percentage increases of unauthorized resident population occurred in Georgia with 120 per cent, in Arizona, which was at 62 per cent and in Texas with 57 per cent.