Deportations skyrocket as Labour promises 'sweeping' changes to tackling migrant crisis

The Home Office has claimed there have been 9,714 enforced removals since November 2024 and 5,430 foreign national offender removals.

A spokesman said this is a 24 per cent and 12 per cent increase respectively, when compared to the previous 12-month period.

Of the total removals since November 1 2024, 11,231 were asylum related, is an increase of 27 per cent.

The data comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to announce a series of deportation reforms, aiming to tackle illegal migration in modern times.

Ms Mahmood said: "Nearly 50,000 illegal migrants have been removed or deported since the election. "We've ramped up enforcement, deported foreign criminals from our streets, and saved taxpayers millions.

"I pledge today to scale up the removal and deportations of illegal migrants and do whatever it takes to secure our borders."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Since taking office the Government has reset its approach to global cooperation, striking new bilateral agreements with key international partners including France, Germany, Italy, and Balkan states to disrupt smuggling networks and accelerate removals.

"This Government has made it clear that innovative and bold solutions are required to reduce the burden of migration on UK taxpayers.

"The government will continue to work with international partners to tackle the global migration crisis and do whatever it takes to restore order at our border. "

Minister for Migration, Mike Tapp, admitted "we can't leave" the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) but said the Government would be "tweaking" it to make it work domestically.

The Dover MP told LBC: "We will do whatever it takes. We will lay out and make it less attractive for people to come here to bring down asylum shopping we're seeing across Europe.

"What we see is abuse of the legal system, they are using it against us, that's unacceptable. We are really keen to make sure the ECHR is fit for purpose here, we can't leave it. We've got trade deals, peace deals, returns deals which are underpinned by that.

"We are making sure that domestically, we do what we can to make sure that it's fair because that's what the public expect, so we can deport and remove people who shouldn't be here, ensuring that our asylum system is more in line with Europe.

"You will reduce that asylum shopping, so those aren't travelling to us aren't seen as a soft touch."

Earlier this month, a demand by the Conservative front bench that any foreigner convicted of a criminal offence in the UK is deported has been seen off by the Government.

The Tory bid to amend the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently going through the House of Lords, was rejected by 227 votes to 182, majority 45.

The main opposition argued a change in the law is needed to address growing public concern and would free up prison places, while also acting as a deterrent. However, critics said the move would be a "trifle extreme", leading to people being kicked out of the country for trivial offences such as stealing a Mars bar, and was unworkable given Britain’s human rights obligations.

The Government has also pointed out it is taking action and has increased the number of foreign offenders being deported since taking office, but the Tories insisted it was not enough.

The body that oversees the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is "absolutely ready" to consider changes to the treaty to address concerns over migration, its chief has said.

Speaking to the BBC, the Council of Europe’s secretary general, Alain Berset, said the organisation with 46-member states needs to see what to discuss and "maybe to change and adapt."

He told the BBC: "I am ready, absolutely ready, and really open to engage in all political discussions, to see what we need to discuss, maybe to change or to adapt. Let us engage on migration issues and to see what we need to address and maybe to change.

"The most important point is to be ready to speak on all issues without taboo… and to see, then, what could be the possible consensus between member states."