Returns from the UK from 1 March 2023 to 31 October 2025
Updated 14 November 2025
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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 March 2023 and 31 October 2025. 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 27 November 2025, providing comprehensive statistics on the number of returns from the UK.
Returns
Between 1 July 2024 and 31 October 2025, a total of 48,560 returns were recorded (including both enforced and voluntary returns). This is a 23% increase on the 39,510 returns recorded in the sixteen-month period ending June 2024.
In the 12 months between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025, a total of 36,607 returns were recorded (including both enforced and voluntary returns). This is a 10% increase on the 33,382 returns in the same period 12 months prior.
The total number for the latest 12 months includes 9,714 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK. This compares with 7,854 enforced returns in the same period 12 months prior, an increase of 24%.
Of the total returns in the year-ending October 2025, 5,430 were of foreign national offenders (FNOs). This is an increase of 12% compared to the 4,861 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).
Within the FNO returns, there have been 2,706 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 2% increase compared to the 2,662 in the same period 12 months prior.
Of the total returns since 1 November 2024, 11,231 were asylum-related returns. This is an increase of 27% compared to the 8,863 asylum returns in the same period 12 months prior (asylum-related returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).
From 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025 there have been 66 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
Returns since July 2023
| Return type | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar-23 | 2,037 | 510 | 1,527 | 360 | 153 | 458 |
| Apr-23 | 1,905 | 459 | 1,446 | 292 | 125 | 539 |
| May-23 | 2,141 | 499 | 1,642 | 290 | 114 | 489 |
| Jun-23 | 2,413 | 666 | 1,747 | 419 | 204 | 677 |
| Jul-23 | 2,164 | 538 | 1,626 | 351 | 155 | 575 |
| Aug-23 | 2,719 | 510 | 2,209 | 327 | 157 | 663 |
| Sep-23 | 2,344 | 558 | 1,786 | 336 | 164 | 518 |
| Oct-23 | 2,358 | 628 | 1,730 | 385 | 186 | 551 |
| Nov-23 | 2,400 | 610 | 1,790 | 342 | 195 | 610 |
| Dec-23 | 2,769 | 683 | 2,086 | 392 | 206 | 752 |
| Jan-24 | 2,842 | 595 | 2,247 | 349 | 178 | 709 |
| Feb-24 | 2,669 | 666 | 2,003 | 404 | 229 | 696 |
| Mar-24 | 2,560 | 635 | 1,925 | 360 | 192 | 706 |
| Apr-24 | 2,699 | 617 | 2,082 | 395 | 225 | 770 |
| May-24 | 2,748 | 618 | 2,130 | 445 | 255 | 772 |
| Jun-24 | 2,742 | 615 | 2,127 | 419 | 210 | 671 |
| Jul-24 | 2,827 | 703 | 2,124 | 440 | 240 | 773 |
| Aug-24 | 3,315 | 671 | 2,644 | 435 | 233 | 900 |
| Sep-24 | 2,906 | 695 | 2,211 | 422 | 224 | 746 |
| Oct-24 | 2,905 | 746 | 2,159 | 458 | 275 | 758 |
| Nov-24 | 3,096 | 826 | 2,270 | 459 | 223 | 917 |
| Dec-24 | 3,263 | 811 | 2,452 | 473 | 228 | 945 |
| Jan-25 | 3,258 | 750 | 2,508 | 380 | 173 | 949 |
| Feb-25 | 2,910 | 728 | 2,182 | 366 | 160 | 846 |
| Mar-25 | 3,287 | 845 | 2,442 | 484 | 205 | 1,002 |
| Apr-25 | 2,920 | 785 | 2,135 | 414 | 226 | 1,004 |
| May-25 | 3,015 | 794 | 2,221 | 457 | 227 | 925 |
| Jun-25 | 2,986 | 762 | 2,224 | 472 | 219 | 991 |
| Jul-25 | 3,114 | 822 | 2,292 | 495 | 225 | 1,024 |
| Aug-25 | 3,189 | 819 | 2,370 | 429 | 217 | 912 |
| Sep-25 | 2,767 | 754 | 2,013 | 416 | 211 | 834 |
| Oct-25 | 2,802 | 1,018 | 1,784 | 585 | 392 | 882 |
Notes
The data and statistics contained within this notice are provisional and taken from live operational systems on 11 November 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 publishes comprehensive statistics on immigration enforcement activity, including the number of returns, in its immigration system statistics quarterly release.