Accredited official statistics

How many people are detained or returned?

Published 24 May 2018

Back to ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending March 2018’ content page.

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Data relate to year ending March 2018 and all comparisons are with year ending March 2017, unless indicated otherwise.

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

We provide a more detailed commentary on an annual basis. This is included in ‘Immigration Statistics, April to June 2017’.

1. Key facts

In year ending March 2018, 26,541 individuals entered the detention estate (down 8% compared with the previous year) and 27,429 left the detention estate (down 5%).

At the end of March 2018, there were 2,400 persons held in the detention estate (excluding HM Prisons), a fall of 18% compared with 12 months earlier. Additionally, 358 individuals were held in immigration detention in HM Prisons.

The total number of enforced returns from the UK, including those not directly from detention, decreased by 9% to 11,621 in year ending March 2018 compared with 12,766 in the previous year.

Provisional data show that 5,630 Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) were returned in year ending March 2018, down 11% compared to 6,346 in the previous year; of these:

  • 66% were EU nationals (3,694)
  • 34% were non-EU nationals (1,936)

2. Immigration detention

2.1. Detention

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. 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.

In year ending March 2018, 26,541 people entered the detention estate.

As at the end of March 2018, there were 2,400 people in the detention estate (excluding prisons). This was 18% lower than the same time the previous year. In addition, 358 immigration detainees were held in HM Prisons.

At the end of March, there were 469 EU nationals, and 2,289 non-EU nationals in detention (including prisons).

People entering, leaving, and in detention, year ending March 2014 to year ending March 20181

Year ending Entering detention Leaving detention In detention2 In detention (excl. HM Prisons)
March 2014 30,108 29,792 z 2,991
March 2015 30,902 30,333 z 3,483
March 2016 32,161 32,647 z 2,925
March 2017 28,978 28,906 z 2,930
March 2018 26,541 27,429 2,758 2,400
Change: latest year -2,437 -1,477 z -530
Percentage change -8% -5% z -18%

Sources:

Table dt 01 q, dt 08 q and dt 13 q (detention tables)

Table notes:

  1. Data from July 2017 includes 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. See the user guide for more details.
  2. z = not applicable.

2.2. Reason for leaving detention

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

Almost half of those leaving detention in the year ending March 2018 were returned from the UK, although this varied considerably by nationality.

Top 5 nationalities of people leaving detention, by reason for leaving, year ending March 2018

Nationality Leaving detention % Returned from UK on leaving detention % Bailed (SoS) on leaving detention
Pakistan 2,390 28% 44%
Albania 2,337 72% 15%
India 2,107 31% 43%
Romania 1,751 93% 3%
Bangladesh 1,312 25% 50%
Other Nationalities 17,532 44% 39%
Total 27,429 46% 36%

Source:

Table dt 08 q (detention tables)

Table notes:

  1. ‘Returned from UK on leaving detention’ includes enforced returns, voluntary returns and those refused entry at port (in the UK) who were subsequently detained and then departed the UK.
  2. Detention closed reason: Bailed (Secretary of State) replaced the existing powers of Granted temporary admission/release from 15/01/2018, following the introduction of the new Immigration Bail in Schedule 10 of the Immigration Bill 2016.

3. Returns

The total number of enforced returns from the UK, including those not directly from detention, decreased by 9% to 11,621 in year ending March 2018 compared with 12,766 in year ending March 2017; of these:

  • 24% of the total were enforced returns of people who had previously sought asylum (2,811), up 7% from the previous year (2,626)

Returns from the UK, by type of return, year ending March 2015 to year ending March 2018

Year ending Total enforced returns1 Total voluntary returns2 Total refused entry at port who subsequently departed
March 2015 14,125 25,177 16,407
March 2016 13,265 28,831 18,080
March 2017 12,766 25,672 17,495
March 2018 11,621 17,868 17,969
Change: latest 12 months -1,145 - +474
Percentage change -9% - +3%

Source:

Table rt 01 q (Returns tables, 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’ include assisted returns, controlled returns and other verified returns. These are subject to significant upward revision as matching checks are made on travellers after departure. Comparisons with the previous 12 months for voluntary returns have not been included as data are not comparable over time.

Top 5 nationalities of enforced returns from the UK, year ending March 2018

Nationality Total enforced returns1 % of Total enforced returns
Albania 1,576 14%
Romania 1,557 13%
Poland 1,114 10%
Pakistan 703 6%
India 687 6%
Other Nationalities 5,984 51%
Total 11,621 -

Source:

Table rt 02 q (Returns tables, volume 1).

Table note:

See notes above.

3.1 Returns of EU and non-EU nationals, by type of return, year ending March 2015 to year ending March 2018

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

Year ending March 2015 March 2016 March 2017 March 2018 Change: latest year Percentage change
Total enforced returns1 14,125 13,265 12,766 11,621 -1,145 -9%
EU 3,242 4,123 5,316 4,603 -713 -13%
Non-EU 10,883 9,142 7,450 7,018 -432 -6%
             
Total voluntary returns2 25,177 28,831 25,672 17,868 - -
EU 470 634 871 457 - -
Non-EU 24,707 28,197 24,801 17,411 - -
             
Total refused entry at port who subsequently departed 16,407 18,080 17,495 17,969 +474 +3%
EU 1,567 2,064 2,496 3,645 +1,149 +46%
Non-EU 14,840 16,016 14,999 14,324 -675 -5%

Source:

Table rt 02 q (Returns tables, volume 1).

Table note:

See notes above.

In year ending March 2018, 5,630 Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) were returned from the UK, of which 11% were known to have an overseas criminal record. Of the 5,630 FNOs, around two-thirds were EU nationals. Data on FNO returns can be found in Table rt 06 q.

4. Data tables

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

Returns tables volume 1
Returns tables volume 2
Returns tables volume 3
Returns tables volume 4
Returns tables volume 5
Detention tables