Transparency data

Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026

Updated 5 February 2026

This note provides an overview of the number of foreign national offenders (FNOs) and others without lawful status who have been returned from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026. It is intended to provide the public with clear and timely statistics in an area of high public interest.

The data summarised in this note is provisional and taken from live operational systems. The next immigration system statistics quarterly release will be published on 26 February 2026, providing comprehensive statistics on the number of returns from the UK.

Returns

Between 1 July 2024 and 31 January 2026, a total of 58,539 returns were recorded (including both enforced and voluntary returns). This is a 31% increase on the 44,626 returns recorded in the nineteen-month period ending June 2024. (1 December 2022 to 30 June 2024)

In the twelve months between 1 February 2025 and 31 January 2026, a total of 36,882 returns were recorded (including both enforced and voluntary returns). This is a 5% increase on the 35,090 returns in the same period 12 months prior.

The total number for the year-ending January 2026 includes 10,004 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK. This compares with 8,356 enforced returns in the same period 12 months prior, an increase of 20%. 

Of the total returns in the year-ending January 2026, 5,689 were of foreign national offenders (FNOs). This is an increase of 12% compared to the 5,070 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).

Within the FNO returns, there have been 3,044 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 13% increase compared to the 2,700 in the same period 12 months prior.

Of the total returns in the year-ending January 2026, 11,410 were asylum related returns. This is an increase of 19% compared to the 9,616 asylum returns in the same period 12 months prior (asylum related returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).

From 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2026 there have been 70 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia and Europe

Returns since December 2022

Month/Year	Total	Of which: Enforced returns	Of which: Voluntary (including Other Verified) returns	Foreign National Offender returns	Of which: Early Removal Scheme returns	Asylum related returns
Dec-22	1,531	374	1,157	297	83	287
Jan-23	1,874	374	1,500	276	122	335
Feb-23	1,681	338	1,343	233	100	338
Mar-23	2,038	513	1,525	359	153	456
Apr-23	1,907	459	1,448	293	125	539
May-23	2,142	499	1,643	289	115	487
Jun-23	2,412	665	1,747	419	203	675
Jul-23	2,163	538	1,625	350	155	575
Aug-23	2,719	511	2,208	328	157	664
Sep-23	2,347	557	1,790	335	163	519
Oct-23	2,357	628	1,729	385	186	549
Nov-23	2,405	610	1,795	341	195	611
Dec-23	2,776	683	2,093	392	206	755
Jan-24	2,841	595	2,246	349	178	709
Feb-24	2,666	666	2,000	402	228	693
Mar-24	2,563	635	1,928	357	192	706
Apr-24	2,703	617	2,086	392	224	767
May-24	2,749	616	2,133	437	254	773
Jun-24	2,752	615	2,137	419	210	673
Jul-24	2,841	704	2,137	439	239	778
Aug-24	3,323	671	2,652	433	232	905
Sep-24	2,908	696	2,212	420	224	745
Oct-24	2,913	746	2,167	459	274	761
Nov-24	3,106	827	2,279	459	222	922
Dec-24	3,278	811	2,467	474	228	950
Jan-25	3,288	752	2,536	379	173	943
Feb-25	2,926	730	2,196	368	160	852
Mar-25	3,311	844	2,467	484	205	1,006
Apr-25	2,943	785	2,158	414	227	1,008
May-25	3,041	794	2,247	459	227	934
Jun-25	3,023	762	2,261	471	219	993
Jul-25	3,176	823	2,353	500	226	1,046
Aug-25	3,428	819	2,609	436	217	1,021
Sep-25	3,124	760	2,364	429	211	979
Oct-25	3,434	1,019	2,415	597	393	1,000
Nov-25	3,314	1,043	2,271	605	430	961
Dec-25	3,070	845	2,225	475	284	888
Jan-26	2,092	780	1,312	451	245	722

Notes

The data and statistics contained within this notice are provisional and taken from live operational systems on 3 February 2026 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 publishes comprehensive statistics on immigration enforcement activity, including the number of returns, in its immigration system statistics quarterly release.