The Home Office has announced that nearly 60,000 unauthorised migrants and convicted criminals have been removed or deported from the UK since Labour took office, marking the highest number in a decade. Officials said 15,200 people who were in the UK illegally were removed since the 2024 election, a 45% increase on the previous 19 months, while 43,000 left voluntarily. Deportations of foreign national offenders have risen by 32%, with more than 8,700 deported under this government.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she would “scale up” deportations further, vowing to “do whatever it takes to restore order and control.” The government is preparing legislation to limit appeals against removal, including restricting use of the European Convention on Human Rights. The UK is pushing for changes in how Articles 3 and 8 are interpreted, which have been used to challenge deportation decisions.
Critics accused the government of promoting “harmful stereotypes” by equating migration with criminality. Minnie Rahman of Praxis said many labelled “foreign national offenders” have lived in the UK for most of their lives and have a legitimate right to be here. Griff Ferris of JCWI called the announcement “frightening” and accused the home secretary of using “openly fascist rhetoric.” Natasha Tsangarides of Freedom from Torture warned that eroding Article 3 protections risks undermining the right to live free from torture.
The government has also pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, with fewer than 200 remaining compared to a peak of 400 under the previous government. More than 65,000 people have arrived in the UK by crossing the Channel since Keir Starmer became prime minister.
