Returns from the UK and illegal working activity since 5 July 2024
Updated 9 January 2025
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This note provides an overview of the number of people who have been returned from the UK, and the ongoing effort to tackle the illegal employment and exploitation of vulnerable people in the UK, since early July. It is intended to provide the public with clear and timely statistics in an area of high public interest.
Between 5 July 2024 and 4 January 2025, a total of 16,400 returns were recorded (including both enforced and voluntary returns).
Of which, there were 4,390 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK. This compares with 3,530 enforced returns over the same period 12 months prior, an increase of 24%.
Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 2,580 were of foreign national offenders (FNOs), this is an increase of 23% compared to 2,090 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).
Within the FNO returns, there have been 1,400 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 31% increase compared to 1,070 in the same period in 2023.
From 5 July 2024 to 4 January 2025 there have been 34 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, 3 more than in the same period 12 months prior (31).
The number of illegal working visits has increased by 32% and arrests have gone up by around 29% since 5 July 2024 (to 4 January 2025), compared to the same period 12 months prior. There were 3,420 visits from 5 July 2023 to 4 January 2024 with 2,470 arrests, while 5 July 2024 to 4 January 2025 saw 4,530 visits with 3,190 arrests.
Revisions to the statistics
The data and statistics contained within this notice are provisional and taken from live operational systems on 8 January 2025 and as a result, figures are subject to further revision and change.
Returns for some 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 and will increase as additional cases are retrospectively recorded. ‘Other verified returns’ (a subset of voluntary returns) are particularly affected by this. For this reason, comparisons of more recent periods to earlier periods should be made with caution.
The Home Office will publish comprehensive statistics on immigration enforcement activity, including the number of returns between July and December 2024, in the next Immigration system statistics quarterly release.
Definitions and further data on enforcement visits and outcomes since 2019 were reported in Additional statistics relating to Illegal Migration (April 2024).