More than 50,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals are on the loose in the UK after fleeing the attention of officials, according to internal Home Office figures obtained by The Telegraph. The number includes 1,200 foreign national offenders among the absconders listed on government systems.
Absconder Figures Exceed Asylum Backlog
Figures secured by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration show that, by December 2024, the number of illegal migrants recorded as missing exceeded the total still waiting for an initial asylum ruling. In March, 48,758 people remained in the Home Office queue for a first decision.
Those unaccounted for include foreign offenders who escaped removal, failed asylum seekers who disappeared before they could be returned, and Channel arrivals who vanished after being released on immigration bail.
Home Secretary Prepares Sweeping Reforms
The revelations come as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood prepares to unveil new legislation designed to prevent those arriving by irregular means from “gaming the system”. The bill, which will be put before MPs including the Prime Minister in waiting Andy Burnham next week, aims to reduce small boat crossings and loss of life in the Channel by giving border officials increased powers.
The legislation is expected to direct how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is applied in immigration and deportation cases.
Previous Government Blamed for Chaos
A Home Office source laid the blame at the feet of the Conservative Party, telling The Telegraph: “Management of contact with those with no right to be in the UK was chaotic and data was unreliable. Under the previous government, removals failed to keep pace with arrivals, and the Conservatives stopped asylum decision-making as they pursued their failed Rwanda plan. As a result, the asylum backlog ballooned to 175,000.”
Definition of Absconder
Home Office guidance says a person is classed as an absconder if they escape immigration detention or break the terms of their bail, cannot be located, and remain unreachable after required attempts to contact them by phone, email, or other means.
Removals Increase but Criminals Remain in Community
Almost 70,000 illegal migrants, including 10,000 foreign national offenders, have been removed from Britain since July 2024, a 41% increase. Despite this, a record 19,779 foreign criminals remain in the community awaiting deportation after completing their prison sentences, up sharply from 7,869 in 2019.
New Investment in Tracking Technology
Ministers have committed an additional £10 million to overhaul the system used to keep track of migrants considered at risk of absconding. New digital kiosks will allow those on immigration bail to report to the Home Office without seeing an officer, freeing enforcement staff to focus on accelerating removals. A further £3 million is being spent on new tracing technology intended to resolve longstanding cases involving migrants who disappeared from the immigration system.
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
