Home Office figures reveal that 21,294 convicted foreign criminals are living in UK communities because they have not been deported, a new record. Officials blamed the Government's sentencing reforms for the sharp increase.
Fewer than 10,000 Channel migrant arrivals have been removed since the small boats phenomenon emerged in 2018, meaning fewer than 5% of those detected in a dinghy have been removed. The asylum system cost £4.35bn last year.
Critics warn of 'breaking point'
Critics warned that Britain's membership of the European Convention on Human Rights “means illegal immigrants from some of the most dangerous countries know full well that if they can make it here, they are almost certain to end up staying”.
Reform's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, said: “Today’s figures show the invasion of Britain continues under Labour. More than 205,000 people have crossed the Channel in boats since 2018, yet just 5% have been deported.
“Meanwhile, the number of foreign criminals walking our streets has hit a record 21,294. Labour is allowing dangerous foreign criminals to roam freely, posing a serious threat to the British public, while illegal migrants are being dispersed from hotels into HMOs and properties in British communities, with virtually no background checks.
“Britain is at breaking point. Under Reform, illegal boats in the Channel will be stopped by our Navy, and all those here illegally will be detained and deported.”
Asylum seekers in communities
Almost 70,000 asylum seekers are now living in communities, with 69,038 in houses, flats and bedsits – including large houses in multiple occupation or HMOs – up from 68,719 three months ago. This includes 4,790 failed asylum seekers.
Analysis shows just 9,694 migrants who arrived on dinghies between 2018 and June 2026 have been removed. Over that same period, almost 205,000 people crossed the Channel. Only 3,310 people were removed in the year to June, a third of these to Albania.
The biggest cohorts to cross the Channel – Afghans, Somalis, Eritreans, Iranians and the Sudanese – accounted for fewer than 800 removals. More than 21,000 from these countries arrived over the same 12 months.
Political reaction
Neil O’Brien, the Tory party’s policy chief, told the Daily Express: “Labour has turned the small boats crisis into a large boat crisis - with some of these super-sized dinghies now carrying as many people as a large jet.
“Tiny numbers of people are being removed relative to the numbers claiming asylum, and illegal immigrants know that if they can make it to the UK, they will almost certainly be able to stay one way or another.
“As long as that is the case, more and more will keep coming. Amazingly, Shabana Mahmood is planning to open new routes to allow some of the same people to come to the UK legally, in the hope that making illegal immigration legal will help to fiddle the figures.
“The risk is it just encourages even more illegal immigration.”
Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, said: “The Home Office is simply failing to deport illegal migrants who have broken into our country.
“Since the general election the deportation of EU nationals has happened at a rate nine times greater than the deportation of the top small boat nationalities - 7,181 compared to 786.
“The boats will continue to cross until the government gets a grip and is forced to account for its woeful track record, drops the failed returns deal with France and focuses on returning illegal migrants to their country of origin.”
Asylum applications and foreign offenders
Britain's asylum crisis saw 85,891 seek sanctuary in the UK last year, down from 106,130 in the previous 12 months. An alarming 33,949 people applied after crossing the Channel on a dinghy, while 34,999 claimed refuge after arriving on a study, work or visitor visa.
Of this group, 9,442 held a study visa, 14,151 arrived on a work visa, 6,392 used a visitor visa and 5,014 held other forms of leave. One in 10 asylum seekers were from Pakistan, with 8,305 in total. Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indians and Nigerians were the most common nationalities to seek sanctuary after travelling to the UK legally.
Home Office records show the number of convicted foreign criminals dodging deportation is soaring, with 21,294 living in the community, up by more than 1,000 in the past three months alone. Officials blamed changes to sentencing rules.
Ministers introduced a “presumption” against sentences of under 12 months and tweaked deportation rules in a bid to remove foreign criminals given a suspended sentence of 12 months or more. But critics fear it is “just making more people eligible for return who aren’t going to leave”.
When Labour took office, 18,157 foreign national offenders were living in the community, nearly double the 10,373 in the final three months of 2020.
Shadow Home Office Minister Katie Lam said: “More and more foreign criminals are roaming the streets. Many will go on to commit further horrific crimes, like rape. They pose a danger to the public, particularly women and children, and they should be deported.
“The only way to keep the public safe is to leave the ECHR, so that we can deport every foreign criminal. Anybody who comes to our country and breaks our laws has forfeited their right to stay here.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said: “Foreign criminals living in the community should be deported. We warned there would be grave consequences to Labour’s Sentencing Act, and here is yet another one rearing its head.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “A little over two years into office and the asylum backlog is down, the number of asylum seekers in hotels is falling, illegal working arrests are at record levels, and deportations and returns are up markedly.
“Small boats numbers are also now falling, but we are not complacent and there is more we must do.
“That is why I have boosted enforcement on the French beaches and overseas and introduced new legislation to tackle the pull factors that draw people here through unsafe and illegal routes.
“This Government is restoring control at our border and fairness to the migration system.”
