Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place to recover public funds from people who return to the UK unlawfully after receiving financial support to leave.

The Home Office publishes all available information on returns expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)

The number of foreign national offenders returned under the Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS) is published as part of the Immigration Enforcement transparency data at table FNO_09. The latest publication can be found at Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

The number of foreign nationals returned under the Voluntary Returns Scheme (VRS) is published as part of the quarterly Immigration system statistics, with the latest publication being for Q2 2025. The latest published data on VRS returns can be viewed at How many people are returned from the UK? - GOV.UK

Individuals departing are subject to a re-entry ban after departing the UK. The length of the ban depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Individuals who return illegally can face a range of sanctions, including prosecution.