Deportations of foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers have reached their highest level in a decade. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said new figures "send a message" that those who come to the UK illegally, or break the law, will be removed.
Home Office data released today shows returns have gone up by 52% since the general election compared to the last two years under the Tories. More than 80,000 people have been removed since July 2024 — the highest level since 2016.
Home Secretary's statement
Ms Mahmood said: "This is a vital step in our effort to restore control to our border and make our migration system fairer for all. These new statistics send a message.
"We will always welcome those who come here legally and seek to build a better life. But if you come here illegally, or you break our laws, we will send you home. I know there is more to be done.
"That is why we are pursuing new legislation that will more swiftly remove those here illegally, and we are doubling funding to our Immigration Enforcement teams by 2028."
Breakdown of removal figures
Home Office data shows there were 80,286 returns recorded between July 1, 2024, and July 31 this year — including 19,622 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK. This included over 6,000 who arrived by small boat.
Nearly 12,000 foreign national offenders were removed from the UK, the data shows. There were 163 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America in that time.
New legislation and controversy
The government has ramped up immigration returns and has put forward controversial plans to speed up the appeals process. Under legislation making its way through Parliament, a new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority (IIAA) — made up of trained members of the public — will rule on appeals rather than judges. This will speed up removals, the Home Secretary said.
New measures will prevent last-minute modern slavery claims. The Home Office is also looking at how much force officers should use while removing families with children. This includes whether the use of handcuffs should be authorised, with officials saying removals attempts are being regularly frustrated. The proposal has sparked an outcry, with more than 150 charities branding it a "sustained attack on children's rights".
Ms Mahmood has said the government is prepared to bring in visa sanctions to countries who fail to take back citizens facing removal from the UK. She has announced the Immigration Enforcement budget will be doubled by 2028/29, with staffing increased by 60%. The Home Office said this will result in tens of thousands more raids, arrests, and removals.
It comes as Labour faces pressure from Nigel Farage's Reform, which has focused on immigration and removals. It has claimed it would remove 600,000 people over a five-year period, and send prisoners to jails overseas.
