Returns from the UK from 5 July 2024 to 22 March 2025
Updated 31 March 2025
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This note provides an overview of the number of people who have been returned from the UK, since early July. It is intended to provide the public with clear and timely statistics in an area of high public interest.
The latest Immigration system statistics quarterly release (published on 27th February) provides comprehensive statistics on the number of returns from the UK for the period to the end of 2024.
Returns
Between 5 July 2024 and 22 March 2025, a total of 24,103 returns were recorded (including both enforced and voluntary returns). This is a 11% increase on the 21,807 returns in the same period 12 months prior, however the figures are subject to a recording delay, as detailed below.
Included in this total, there were 6,339 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK. This compares with 5,244 enforced returns in the same period 12 months prior, an increase of 21%.
Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 3,594 were of foreign national offenders (FNOs), this is an increase of 16% compared to 3,101 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).
Within the FNO returns, there have been 1,848 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 15% increase compared to 1,610 in the same period 12 months prior.
Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 6,781 were asylum related returns, this is an increase of 23% compared to 5,508 asylum returns in the same period 12 months prior (asylum related returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).
From 5 July 2024 to 22 March 2025 there have been 46 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, level with the same period 12 months prior (46).
Revisions to the statistics
The data and statistics contained within this notice are provisional and taken from live operational systems on 25 March 2025 and as a result, figures are subject to further revision and change.
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 has published comprehensive statistics on immigration enforcement activity, including the number of returns between July and December 2024, in the latest Immigration system statistics quarterly release.