We think an effective strategy is needed to identify, detain and deport all individuals residing the UK illegally.
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We think the cost to the taxpayer is crippling and needs to be addressed especially as more than 350,000 people in England are currently homeless. We think the UK is already so over-populated that the current government advocates building on low quality green belt land, or 'grey belt' land.
Tuesday 7th October 2025
The Government agrees that maximising the return of those unlawfully in the UK is essential to strengthening border security and restoring order to the asylum and immigration system.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated his commitment to reducing illegal immigration by dismantling the criminal gangs behind the trafficking of migrants across the channel and increasing the return of people with no right to be in this country. The Home Secretary has been clear on her priority to protect the UK border and explore all options to restore order to the immigration system.
The Government is bringing the full force of our laws to bear on these issues. Those found to have no right to be in the UK, including foreign criminals, should be returned as quickly as possible, through effective enforcement action where they refuse to depart voluntarily.
A systematic programme of work is focusing on delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity. Immigration Enforcement staff are dedicated to making arrests, driving through decisions on individual cases, detaining people where necessary and getting them onto returns flights.
In its first year in office, the Government returned over 35,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other immigration offenders with no right to be in the UK, an increase of 13% on the previous year. This has included 66 charter flights, including four of the biggest returns flights in the UK's history, carrying more than 850 people.
There are significant and complex challenges that could impact on a person’s return as they move through the immigration system, such as new applications to regularise their stay, progressing through the appeals process or other litigation barriers, as well as changes in country situations. On 1 September, the then Home Secretary set out in Parliament a range of further measures for tackling abuses of the system that seek to prevent removal:
Strengthening international cooperation is also key to enabling quick and safe returns. Under the new treaty agreed with France in August - which allows the UK to directly return to France those who arrive in the UK on small boats - individuals can be detained immediately upon arrival at Dover, pending return. The first returns under this agreement began on 18 September 2025.
The Home Secretary agreed with Five Eyes partners to work even more closely to return those with no right to be in our countries by coordinating on measures like limiting visas for countries who do not cooperate.
The Government is increasing detention capacity to support increased enforced returns, with work to establish two new immigration removal centres at Campsfield and Haslar progressing at pace.
Currently, there is a significant backlog in the First Tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber, with an average wait time of 54 weeks. Whilst we have surged the average number of initial decisions made by 31,000 per quarter, delays in determining immigration and asylum appeals increase the pressure in the asylum accommodation system. That is why the Government announced plans to establish a new independent appeals body, which will be fully independent of government and staffed by professionally trained adjudicators, with safeguards to ensure high standards. It will be able to surge capacity as needed and to accelerate and prioritise cases, alongside new procedures to tackle repeat applications and unnecessary delays.
The Government has made a £1 billion investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year (2025/26), £233 million up on the year before, to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping.
The Spending Review protects this record level of investment to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping for the next three years and provides £100 million to fund increased homelessness prevention activity by local authorities.
The Government is committed to preserving Green Belts which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades. On 27 February 2025, it published updated Green Belt guidance, to ensure that a consistent approach is taken to the identification of grey belt land. More details can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/green-belt.
The Government is taking forward an effective strategy for identifying and returning those with no right to be in this country. Further reforms will follow, but across Government, and led by the Home Office and Immigration Enforcement in particular, there will be a relentless focus on tackling the harm those here unlawfully cause to our economy and our society, building on progress so far and continuing to fix our broken system.
Home Office