Official Statistics

Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act (data to March 2023)

Updated 22 April 2024

1. Things you need to know about the data

The data published here is provisional and taken from live operational systems so will be subject to change.
The report below is based on data up to 31 March 2023. More recent data is also available on data tables up to the end of July 2023.

This release is accompanied by data tables which provide more detail and timeseries data. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK immigration system, both in terms of restricting migrant movements to and from the UK and the impact on operational capacity. Increases in more recent years may be due to recovery since COVID-19.

2. Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats

Between 1 January and 31 March 2023, 3,793 people were detected arriving in small boats, 70% fewer than the number of arrivals in the previous quarter (12,726 arrivals between 1 October and 31 December 2022). It is also 17% lower than the number of small boat arrivals in the same quarter the previous year (4,548 arrivals between 1 January and 31 March 2022). There is a seasonal effect on small boat arrivals due to weather conditions. Crossings are generally higher in better weather.

Between 1 January and 31 March 2023, the most common nationality arriving via small boat was Afghans (909, 24%) followed by Indians (675, 18%). In 2022, almost half of small boat arrivals were Albanians (28% of the total, although these arrivals occurred mostly between July and September 2022) and Afghans (20%, with their numbers greater towards the end of the year).

A quarterly breakdown of small boat arrivals since 2018, and a nationality breakdown for arrivals in January to March 2023, can be found in tables IMB_01a and IMB_01b of this release. Finalised data on small boat crossings is published in the quarterly Irregular migration to the UK release and statistics up to the end of March 2023 are due to be published on 25 May 2023. Provisional daily small boat arrivals data is published every day as part of the Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats release.

3. Asylum initial decision backlog

At 31 March 2023, there were 138,052 cases (main applicants only) awaiting an initial decision. 80,148 (58%) of these applications were ‘legacy cases’ made before 28 June 2022 and 57,904 (42%) were made on or after 28 June 2022 (referred to as ‘flow cases’).

Data from 31 March 2011 to 31 March 2023 can be found in table IMB_02 of this release. More statistics are available in tables Asy_D03 and Asy_10 of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release for the asylum initial decision backlog, and legacy and flow backlog breakdowns respectively. Finalised statistics for the period to the end of 31 March 2023 are due to be published on 25 May 2023.

4. Asylum seekers in receipt of support

At 31 March 2023, there were 112,294 individuals in receipt of support, of which:

• 56,979 people were in dispersed accommodation^{[footnote 1]} (51%)
• 49,606 people were in contingency accommodation^{[footnote 2]} (including hotels and other contingency accommodation; 44%)
• 1,651 people were in initial accommodation^{[footnote 3]} (1%)
• 4,058 people were in receipt of subsistence only (cash support only; 4%)

At 31 March 2023, there were 15,427 properties being used for dispersed accommodation and 397 properties being used for contingency and initial accommodation.

Data broken down by type of accommodation and type of support can be found in table IMB_03 of this release. For further data and notes on how to use the data, see tables Asy_D09 and Asy_D11 of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release for asylum seekers in receipt of support by nationality and local authority respectively. Finalised statistics for 31 March 2023 are due to be published on 25 May 2023.

5. Enforcement visits, illegal working visits and outcomes

In the year ending March 2023, 10,499 enforcement visits were conducted, 29% fewer than in the year ending March 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (14,727).

As a result of the enforcement visits, 19,519 people were encountered^{[footnote 4]} in the year ending March 2023, 48% fewer than in the year ending March 2020 (37,782). Of those arrested (4,212) in the year ending March 2023, 35% (1,467) entered immigration detention, which is lower than the 57% (3,704 out of 6,477) during the year ending March 2020.

Following a reduction during the pandemic, enforcement visits have since increased. There were 3,228 conducted in January to March 2023. This is 53% higher than the number in January to March 2022 (2,111), and similar to the number conducted prior to the pandemic (3,175 in January to March 2020).

Illegal working enforcement visits are a subset of enforcement visits. In the year ending March 2023, there were 4,183 illegal working enforcement visits, 32% fewer than prior to the pandemic (6,156 in the year ending March 2020).

Similar to overall enforcement visit trends, visits targeting illegal working have also increased since the pandemic. The number of visits conducted in January to March 2023 (1,273) is similar to the number conducted in January to March 2020 (1,248).

Definitions and further data on enforcement visits and outcomes since 2019 can be found in table IMB_04 of this release.

6. Returns

In January to March 2023, 4,944 people were returned (because they were legally required to leave the UK). Of these, 1,234 (25%) were enforced returns and 3,710 (75%) were voluntary returns.

795 Albanian nationals were returned in January to March 2023 (16% of all returns). Of these, 389 (49%) were enforced returns and 406 (51%) were voluntary returns.

Since the signing of the UK-Albania Joint Communique on 13 December 2022, the UK has returned over 1,000 Albanian nationals to Albania. This figure is a combination of failed asylum seekers, foreign national offenders and voluntary returns and covers the period up to the first week in April.

Quarterly data broken down by type of return and nationality (Albanian and other nationalities) for the last 4 years (April 2019 to March 2023) can be found in table IMB_05 of this release. For further returns data and notes on how to use the data, see table Ret_D01 of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. Finalised statistics up to 31 December 2022 are due to be published on 25 May 2023.

7. Asylum decision makers

As at 1 March 2023, there were 1,281 asylum decision makers, 48% higher than on 1 July 2022 (when there were 865).

Monthly snapshot data on asylum decision makers since 1 August 2019 can be found in table IMB_06 of this release. For further information, see table Asy_05(M) of the Immigration and Protection data tables, in the Migration Transparency data collection. Finalised data for 1 January to 31 March 2023 are due to be published on 25 May 2023.

1. Dispersed accommodation is provided to asylum seekers whose claim for asylum support has been agreed. Occupants of dispersed accommodation (houses, flats, and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)) are permitted to stay there whilst they remain eligible for asylum support. ↩

2. Contingency accommodation is temporary accommodation (including hotels, hostels, former military barracks) used when there is insufficient initial or dispersed accommodation available. People housed in contingency accommodation generally move to dispersed accommodation when suitable property becomes available. ↩

3. Initial accommodation is provided to asylum seekers who have indicated that they are unable to support themselves or their families and are therefore at risk of destitution. It is available to provide shelter while a request for asylum support is being assessed. Occupants of initial accommodation who receive a positive outcome to their support request generally move to dispersed (longer term) accommodation when suitable property becomes available. ↩

4. An encounter is recorded as any individual who is encountered during an enforcement visit and spoken to in order to determine their immigration status (which may include UK nationals and those with leave to remain in the UK). If an immigration offender is identified, for numerous reasons including working without the right to do so, then subsequent arrest will be considered. ↩