Accredited official statistics

How many people are detained under immigration powers in the UK?

Published 27 August 2026

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This release goes up to the year ending (YE) June 2026. The “year ending” period includes the 12 months up to and including the YE month. For example, YE June 2026 includes the 12 months between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.

An individual may be detained under immigration powers under certain circumstances. This includes detention in support of the return of the individual with no legal right to be in the UK. In some cases, individuals may be detained whilst their identity is being established or where there is a risk of absconding.

1. People entering immigration detention

In the YE June 2026, the number of people entering immigration detention was similar to the previous year, following an upward trend since 2023.

A total of 22,037 people entered immigration detention in the YE June 2026, 2% more than the previous year. This continues an increasing trend since YE September 2023.

The longer-term increase is partly enabled by expansion of detention capacity over the last 2 years to facilitate removals from the UK, including the opening of Campsfield House IRC and doubling the number of people detained in prison under immigration powers at the end of 2025 (See Section 2). The slight increase in detention intake in the latest year coincides with a 7% rise in returns from detention over the same period (see ‘How many people are returned from the UK?’ for more information).

Around two-thirds of people entering detention in the latest year had previously or subsequently been recorded in the asylum claims system during their time in the UK. These asylum-related cases entering detention rose by 7% in the latest year including individuals being detained under the UK-France agreement, which was signed in August 2025.

In addition, foreign national offenders (FNOs) accounted for 39% of those entering detention, in many cases transferred straight from prison under early release measures brought into law in the last 2 years to free up prison capacity. In particular, changes to the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) resulted in several FNOs in prisons becoming immediately eligible for removal, in most cases facilitated via the detention estate. The ERS was expanded in September 2025 to reduce the minimum custodial period, further details can be found in the policy timeline accompanying this release.

Figure 1: People entering immigration detention in the UK, from the YE December 2015 to the YE June 2026

Source: Immigration detention - Det_D01

While the number of people entering detention has increased over the last 3 years (see Figure 1), numbers remain lower than a decade earlier. People entering detention fell from 32,447 in 2015 to 24,480 in 2019 partly due to changes in the use of detention and greater use of alternatives as a response to the 2016 Stephen Shaw review of detention. Although the COVD-19 pandemic impacted detention use in 2020 and 2021, the overall downward trend in the number of people entering detention continued up to the YE September 2023. This decline occurred against the backdrop of detained individuals more commonly raising issues while in detention (such as asylum or modern slavery claims); combined with ongoing efforts to minimise the use of detention following the Shaw review, with more individuals being managed in the community.

Even though detention is primarily used to facilitate a return from the UK, in 2021 many entrants were small boat arrivals detained for initial processing on arrival. From 2022, the opening of Manston immigration centre to process small boat arrivals meant these individuals were no longer being held within the wider detention estate for initial processing, leading to a further decline in numbers entering and enabling more to move directly to community-based accommodation following the initial examination and checks.

Albanians represented almost a fifth (18%) of people entering detention in the YE June 2026.

Albanians remain the most common nationality entering detention (3,905 entries), half (51%) of whom are FNOs. However, this level is half the number entering detention in YE March 2023 (7,743), reflecting a declining population of Albanians eligible for removal. This corresponds with fewer Albanian arrivals via illegal routes to the UK over the same period (particularly fewer arriving by small boat), shrinking asylum-seeker caseload for initial decisions and declining prison populations of these nationals.

The next most common nationalities entering immigration detention were Indian nationals (12%) and Romanians (8%). Of the 1,829 Romanians entering detention overall, 57% were FNOs.

2. People in immigration detention

The number of people held in detention under immigration powers at the end of June 2026 rose by around one fifth compared to a year prior.

There were 2,152 people being held in detention (at an immigration detention facility or in prisons under immigration powers) at the end of June 2026, 19% more than on 30 June 2025. This is the highest number in detention since end June 2018.

While the vast majority of people detained under immigration powers are held in the detention estate rather than prisons (91% at the end of June 2026), the amount of people detained in prison under immigration powers nearly doubled in the last year to 190. This additional bed space supports delivery of deliberate policy to reduce pressures on prison capacity by expediting the removal of FNOs from the UK via schemes like the ERS. For more information on FNOs leaving the detention estate in the YE June 2026, see section 3.3.

While many FNOs subject to removal are detained in the detention estate and prisons, many are also managed in the community. For data on those managed in the community, see the Immigration Enforcement Transparency statistics.

The total number of foreign nationals held in prison for criminal offences can be found in the latest prison population statistics, published by the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service.

Figure 2: People detained under immigration powers in the UK, on the last day of the quarter, 31 December 2017 to 30 June 2026^1,2

Source: Immigration detention - Det_D02

Notes:

1. The ‘detention estate’ comprises Immigration Removal Centres (IRC), Short-Term Holding Facilities (STHF) and Pre-departure Accommodation (PDA). It is separate to those who are detained under immigration powers in prisons – these are shown separately on the chart.
2. Prisons data from 31 December 2022 includes prisons in England and Wales only.

The number of people in detention is a snapshot relating to a single point in time, therefore, numbers fluctuate daily. If a large number of people entered detention just before the end of a reporting period, the number of people in detention would be higher than if the same people entered a few days later.

3. People leaving immigration detention

3.1 Reasons for leaving immigration detention

Just over half (51%) of the 21,517 cases of individuals leaving detention in YE June 2026 were bailed.

Figure 3 shows that the most common reason for leaving detention in the YE June 2026 was bail, with 10,908 leaving detention for that reason. Bail has been the most common reason for leaving detention since 2015 with the proportion leaving detention on bail remaining consistent over the last 2 years. Prior to 2015 the most common reason for leaving detention was to be returned.

People are bailed for a variety of reasons, including where there is no immediate prospect for their removal from the UK, or while their asylum claim is being considered, if they have made one.

Detained individuals who claim asylum, or raise other claims (for example, modern slavery or human trafficking) or appeals which prevent progress of their removal, may be granted bail into the community. While on bail, individuals are subject to conditions while their claims are concluded. If a claim is refused, the individual may depart the country voluntarily or re-enter detention if required to facilitate enforced removal.

Figure 3: People leaving detention by reason for leaving¹ from the YE December 2010 to the YE June 2026

Source: Immigration detention - Det_D03

Notes:

1. Other reasons for leaving detention include being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, entering criminal detention and being detained in error. See the user guide for more details.

Just under half (46%) of people leaving detention in the YE June 2026 were returned from the UK, up slightly compared to the previous year (44%), and nearly double the proportion seen in the YE June 2023 (25%).

There were 9,888 cases of people leaving detention to be returned from the UK in the latest year, constituting 46% of total leavers from detention. The number of people who leave detention to be returned has increased by 85% over the last 3 years. Enforced returns from detention are the most common type of enforced return and have generally been rising steadily since the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. For more information about this trend, and the reasons behind it, see the ‘How many people are returned from the UK?’ topic.

Reasons for leaving detention are considered on a case-by-case basis and often vary across nationalities. Romanian and Polish nationals are among the most common nationalities of FNOs leaving detention in the latest year, and had a higher proportion returned on leaving detention (87% and 61% respectively) than leaving on bail. Some nationalities featuring more prominently in asylum claim statistics, including Indian and Pakistani nationals, were more commonly seen leaving detention on bail (74% and 77% respectively).

Albanians were the most common nationality leaving detention in the YE June 2026 (3,925 or 18% of total leavers). Albanians are prominent across both the FNO and asylum claiming cohorts with a similar number returned from detention and leaving on bail.

For more information about asylum claim statistics, see the ‘How many people claim asylum in the UK?’ topic.

3.2 Length of immigration detention

Almost two-thirds (64%) of individuals leaving immigration detention in the YE June 2026 had been detained for less than a month.

Most people leaving detention in the YE June 2026 were detained for less than one month, with those returned from detention more commonly detained for shorter periods compared to those being bailed. Around one-third (37%) of those returned from the UK via detention spent under a week detained (66% under a month). For those bailed, only around one-fifth (18%) of detainees left detention within a week (62% under a month).

Longer stays in detention (3 months and over) have ranged between 8% and 10% of numbers leaving over the last 4 years. In the YE June 2026, 9% of people leaving stayed over 3 months.

Figure 4 shows short durations up to one week were more common between the YE June 2020 and the YE December 2022, during which time small boat arrivals were undergoing initial processing in the detention estate, and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal detention estate operations.

Figure 4: People leaving immigration detention, by length of detention¹, proportions of rolling annual totals, from the YE December 2010 to the YE June 2026

Source: Immigration detention - Det_D03

Notes:

1. Month duration refers to a period of 30 days.

3.3 Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) leaving detention

In YE June 2026, 8,507 FNOs left immigration detention.

Two-fifths (40%) of people leaving detention in the YE June 2026 were FNOs. The most common nationalities among these FNOs were Albanian (1,960), Romanian (1,058) and Polish nationals (743).

The most common offence group among FNOs leaving detention in YE June 2026 was drug offences (2,849), accounting for a third of cases. Violence against the person outside of homicide (1,132) and theft offences (1,112) made up a quarter of FNOs leaving detention.

Although sentence length varied across offence groups, the most common sentence length group for FNOs leaving immigration detention in YE June 2026 was 2 to 4 years (2,182); 7% had been sentenced to prison terms of 8 years or over, and 30% had been sentenced to terms of under one year.

FNOs leaving detention to be returned from the UK will appear in the FNO returns statistics reported in the ‘How many people are returned from the UK?’ chapter. Those for whom there is no immediate prospect of their removal from the UK, or while an additional claim is being considered which creates a barrier to their return (for example, asylum claim) may leave detention on bail and be managed in the community. These individuals are among those reported in the ‘FNOs in the Community’ statistics, published in the quarterly ‘Immigration Enforcement transparency statistics’.

The latest statistics on ‘FNOs in the Community’ show there were 21,294 FNOs subject to deportation being monitored in the community at the end of June 2026, which is an increase of 12% from end June 2025 (18,993), and an increase of 6% from end March 2026 (20,027). The substantial increase since last year mainly occurred since March 2026, coinciding with changes introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026.  The changes may have impacted on numbers in 2 ways, firstly by expanding the issuance of suspended sentences, as an alternative to custodial sentences, so that many FNOs who would previously have served their time in prisons will now be serving it in the community.  Secondly, the act also broadened the duty to deport foreign national offenders to include those given a suspended sentence of 12 months or more, bringing more foreign nationals into the monitored population.

4. About the statistics

The statistics in this section relate to detention under immigration powers.

One individual may enter or leave detention multiple times in a given period and on such occasions would therefore be counted multiple times in the statistics.

Data on FNOs entering and leaving detention is classified as ‘official statistics in development’. The reporting period is limited to the year ending June 2026. See the user guide for more details.

5. Data tables

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

• Immigration detention summary tables
• Detailed immigration detention datasets

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