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How many people are detained or returned?

Published 24 May 2019

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Data in this section relate to the year ending March 2019 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2018, unless indicated otherwise. A more detailed annual summary can be found in ‘Immigration statistics, year ending June 2018’.

This section contains data on:

• Individuals held in immigration detention (solely under Immigration Act powers)
• Returns of people, by the Home Office, who do not have any legal right to stay in the UK

1. Immigration detention

At the end of March 2019, there were 1,839 people held in the detention estate, one third (33%) less than a year earlier.

In the year ending March 2019, 24,333 individuals entered the detention estate, 8% fewer than the previous year and the lowest level since comparable records began in 2009.

Over the same period, 25,201 left the detention estate (down 8%). Over two-thirds (71%) of these were detained for less than 29 days and 4% were detained for more than 6 months.

Of those leaving detention, 44% received Secretary of State (SoS) bail and 42% were returned from the UK to another country. The remainder will include people granted bail by an Immigration Judge, those granted leave to enter or remain, and those leaving for other reasons (such as deaths and absconders).

The proportion who were returned from detention has fallen from 64% in year ending March 2011. Data on deaths in detention and absconds from detention were published for the first time in November 2018. See ‘Immigration statistics, year ending September 2018’ for details.

Table 8: People entering, leaving and in detention, year ending March 2015 to March 2019^1,2

Year ending	Entering detention	Leaving detention	In detention2	In detention (excl. HM Prisons)
March 2015	30,902	30,333	n/a	3,483
March 2016	32,161	32,647	n/a	2,925
March 2017	28,976	28,910	n/a	2,930
March 2018	26,560	27,437	2,758	2,400
March 2019	24,333	25,201	1,839	1,484
Change: latest year	-2,227	-2,236	-919	-916
Percentage change	-8%	-8%	-33%	-38%

Sources:

Detention tables dt 01 q, dt 08 q and dt 13 q.

Table notes:

1. Data from July 2017 include those entering and leaving detention through HM Prisons, as well as those held in detention in HM Prisons. Data are not directly comparable with previous years (which are denoted as n/a). See the user guide for more details.
2. Data on those in detention are as at the end of March.

2. Returns

There were 8,637 enforced returns from the UK in the year ending March 2019, 25% fewer than the previous year (11,509). This was largely accounted for by falls in:

• Enforced returns of people who were in detention prior to their return, which fell by 23% to 7,699 compared with 9,963 in the previous year
• Enforced returns for both EU nationals (down 883 to 3,637) and non-EU nationals (down 1,989 to 5,000). EU nationals accounted for 42% of enforced returns throughout the year and the majority (56%) of these were Romanian and Polish nationals

Of the enforced returns in the latest period, 23% (1,948) were returns of people who had previously sought asylum (see the ‘About the Statistics’ section for the definition of asylum-related returns).

Figure 13: Returns by type, year ending March 2015 to March 2019¹

Source:

Returns table rt 02 q (volume 1).

Chart notes:

1. Data prior to 2014 are not directly comparable with data from 2014 onwards due to a change in the classification of returns. See the user guide for more details. Data prior to 2014 can be found in the returns table rt_02 (volume 1).
2. ‘Voluntary returns’ are subject to significant upward revision (particularly for the last 12 months, shown as crosses in the chart) as matching checks are made on travellers after departure. They include a variety of departures, including assisted voluntary returns, controlled returns and other verified returns (for example, through data matching). Provisional data are denoted with an ‘X’ in the chart.

Table 9: Returns from the UK for EU and non-EU nationals, by type of return, year ending March 2015 to March 2019

Year ending	March 2015	March 2016	March 2017	March 2018	March 2019	Change latest 12 months	Percentage change
Enforced returns1	14,125	13,265	12,727	11,509	8,637	-2,872	-25%
EU	3,242	4,123	5,275	4,520	3,637	-883	-20%
Non-EU	10,883	9,142	7,452	6,989	5,000	-1,989	-28%
Voluntary returns2	25,177	28,831	25,846	18,752	13,738	-	-
EU	470	634	901	562	191	-	-
Non-EU	24,707	28,197	24,945	18,190	13,547	-	-
Refused entry at port who subsequently departed	16,407	18,080	17,530	18,105	19,581	+1,476	+8%
EU	1,567	2,064	2,536	3,739	3,077	-662	-18%
Non-EU	14,840	16,016	14,994	14,366	16,504	+2,138	+15%

Source:

Returns table rt 02q (volume 1).

Table notes:

1. ‘Enforced returns’ cover enforced removals from detention, non-detained enforced removals and other returns from detention where the Home Office will have been required to facilitate or monitor the return.
2. ‘Voluntary returns’ are subject to significant upward revision as matching checks are made on travellers after departure. ‘Voluntary returns’ include a variety of departures, including assisted voluntary returns, controlled returns and other verified returns (for example, through data matching). Comparisons with the previous 12 months for voluntary returns have not been included as data are not comparable over time.

Table 10: Enforced returns¹ from the UK by nationality (top 5), year ending March 2019 compared with March 2018

Nationality	Year ending March 2018	Year ending March 2019	Change	% Change
Albania	1,574	1,469	-105	-7%
Romania	1,526	1,243	-283	-19%
Poland	1,093	780	-313	-29%
Lithuania	586	441	-145	-25%
Brazil	287	403	+116	+40%
Other Nationalities	6,443	4,301	-2,142	-33%
Total	11,509	8,637	-2,872	-25%

Source:

Returns table rt 02q (volume 1).

Table note:

1. ‘Enforced returns’ cover enforced removals from detention, non-detained enforced removals and other returns from detention where the Home Office will have been required to facilitate or monitor the return.

There were 5,198 Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) returned in the year ending March 2019, 13% less than the previous year. Of these:

• Just over two-thirds (68%) were EU nationals (3,533)
• Almost one-third (32%) were non-EU nationals (1,665)
• 9% were also known to have an overseas criminal record

3. About the statistics

3.1 Immigration detention

The statistics in this section show the number of entries into, and departures from, detention for those held solely under immigration powers. One individual may enter or leave detention multiple times in a given period and will therefore have been counted multiple times in the statistics. Statistics on foreign nationals held in prison for criminal offences are published by the Ministry of Justice in its ‘Offender Management Statistics Quarterly’.

Data on those entering detention, by place of detention, relate to the place of initial detention. An individual who moves from one part of the detention estate to another will not have been counted as entering any subsequent place of detention. The data therefore, do not show the total number of people who entered each part of the detention estate.

Data on those in detention relate to those in detention on the last day of the quarter.

Data on those leaving detention, by place of detention, relate to the place of detention immediately prior to being released. An individual who moves from one part of the detention estate to another has not been counted as leaving each part of the detention estate. The data therefore, do not show the total number of people who left each part of the detention estate.

From July 2017, data on detention of immigration detainees in prisons are included in the immigration detention figures. Previously, individuals who were detained in prison would have been recorded in the data upon entering the detention estate through an immigration removal centre (IRC), short-term holding facility (STHF) or pre-departure accommodation (PDA); now they are recorded upon entering immigration detention within prison. As a result, the length of detention of those entering prison prior to July 2017 will be recorded from the point at which they entered an IRC, STHF or PDA. Time spent in prison under immigration powers prior to entering an IRC, STHF or PDA is not included in the length of detention figures.

For those entering detention from July 2017, the length of detention will include time spent in prison under immigration powers prior to entering an IRC, STHF or PDA. Data from Q3 2017 onwards are therefore not directly comparable with earlier data. Further details of these changes can be found in the user guide.

Following the introduction of the new Immigration Bail in Schedule 10 of the Immigration Bill 2016, the detention closed reasons ‘Bailed (SoS)’ replaced the existing powers of ‘granted temporary admission/release’ from 15/01/2018, and ‘Bailed (Immigration Judge)’ replaced ‘Bailed’ to differentiate from ‘Bailed (SoS)’. See the user guide for more details of this change.

Data on the number of children entering detention is subject to change. This will be a result of further evidence of an individual’s age coming to light, such as an age assessment.

3.2 Returns

The statistics in this section show the number of returns from the UK. One individual may have been returned more than once in a given period, and if that were the case would be counted more than once in the statistics.

The Home Office seeks to return people who do not have a legal right to stay in the UK. This includes people who:

• Enter, or attempt to enter, the UK illegally (including people entering clandestinely and by means of deception on entry)
• Are subject to deportation action; for example, due to a serious criminal conviction
• Overstay their period of legal right to remain in the UK
• Breach their conditions of leave
• Have been refused asylum

Deportations are a subset of enforced returns. They may occur either following a criminal conviction, or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. Information on those deported is not separately available. The published statistics refer to enforced returns, which include deportations as well as cases where a person has breached UK immigration laws, and those removed under other administrative and illegal entry powers who have declined to leave voluntarily. Most illegal immigrants are removed from the UK under administrative or illegal entry powers and not deported.

Data on voluntary returns are subject to significant upward revision, so comparisons over time should be made with caution. In some cases, individuals who have been told to leave the UK will not notify the Home Office of their departure from the UK. In such cases, it can take some time for the Home Office to become aware of such a departure and update the system. As a result, data for more recent periods will initially undercount the total number of returns. ‘Other verified returns’ are particularly affected by this.

Asylum-related returns relate to cases where there has been an asylum claim at some stage prior to the return. This will include asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been refused and who have exhausted any rights of appeal, those returned under third-country provisions, as well as those granted asylum/protection, but removed for other reasons (such as criminality).

Data on returns, and requests for transfer out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation, by article and country of transfer, are available from the Asylum data tables Asylum table as_23_q (volume 5). Further details on the Dublin Regulation are set out in the user guide.

EU nationals may be returned for not exercising, or abusing, Treaty rights or deported on public policy grounds (such as criminality).

Eurostat publishes a range of enforcement data from EU member states. These data can be used to make international comparisons.

3.3 The Windrush Scheme

The Windrush generation refers to people from Caribbean countries who were invited by the British government between 1948 and 1971 to migrate to the UK as it faced a labour shortage due to the destruction caused by World War II. Not all of these migrants have documentation confirming their immigration status and therefore some may have been dealt with under immigration powers.

On 16 April 2018, the Home Secretary established a taskforce to ensure that members of the Windrush generation could evidence their right to be in the UK. The taskforce provide an update to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the work of the Home Office in relation to Windrush, including official figures, on a monthly basis. The updates are published on GOV.UK.

4. Data tables

Data referred to here can be found in the following tables:

• Detentions tables
• Returns tables volume 1
• Returns tables volume 2
• Returns tables volume 3
• Returns tables volume 4
• Returns tables volume 5

Data on the number of people returned from the UK from detention in detention table dt 08 q includes those who were refused entry at port in the UK who were subsequently detained and then departed the UK. Data on those returned from detention in the returns table rt 01q (volume 1) do not include those refused entry at port, and so figures will be lower.

5. Review of immigration enforcement data

The Home Office is reviewing the enforcement data that it publishes to ensure it provides a comprehensive overview of the enforcement system. In summer 2019, the Home Office will publish a work plan outlining proposals to develop the enforcement statistics. Users will be invited to comment on this work plan ensuring their views can be taken on board.

We welcome your feedback

If you have any comments or suggestions for the development of this report, please provide feedback by emailing MigrationStatsEnquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please include the words ‘PUBLICATION FEEDBACK’ in the subject of your email.

See section 7 of the ‘About this release’ section for more details.