19,000 Illegal Migrants and Foreign Criminals Deported as UK Steps Up Immigration Crackdown

• Feb 13, 2025

The UK government has intensified its efforts to combat illegal immigration and criminal activity, deporting nearly 19,000 foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers since July. This represents a 25% increase in deportations between July 5, 2024, and January 31, 2025, according to the Home Office. For the first time, the department also released video footage showing the deportation of individuals to countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America.

A significant part of the crackdown has involved illegal working raids, with a 38% rise in enforcement actions targeting businesses suspected of employing illegal workers. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to join police on one of these raids later this week. The government has redeployed around 1,000 employees to bolster immigration enforcement, resulting in a 21% increase in the number of foreign national offenders being sent home compared to the previous year.

The operation included the four largest deportation flights in the UK’s history, carrying over 850 people. In January alone, nearly 750 enforced returns were carried out, including about 360 foreign criminals. Additionally, immigration officers visited more than 800 businesses, such as nail bars, shops, restaurants, and car washes, making 609 arrests. Some notable arrests included six people detained at a South London grocery warehouse, ten at vape shops in Cheshire, and seven at an Indian restaurant in Humberside.

Cooper emphasized the importance of enforcing immigration laws to prevent exploitation, stating: “For too long, employers have been able to exploit illegal migrants, and many have been able to work illegally with no consequences. This creates a dangerous incentive for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel in small boats and leads to the abuse of vulnerable individuals, as well as undermining our economy.”

As part of the Home Office’s broader strategy, social media campaigns have been launched in countries such as Vietnam and Albania. These campaigns share the stories of migrants who entered the UK illegally and ended up facing exploitation and debt. The aim is to warn potential migrants about the harsh realities of illegal work in the UK.

Despite these efforts, the number of migrants crossing the English Channel remains high. In the past week, 259 individuals made the perilous journey from France to the UK. The government's Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill is currently under debate in Parliament and seeks to introduce new measures to combat people smuggling. Among the proposed changes, individuals involved in the sale or handling of boat parts used for illegal crossings could face up to 14 years in prison, while those involved in endangering others during the crossings could be sentenced to five years.

The bill also seeks to grant enforcement agencies powers to seize and search electronic devices suspected of containing information about organized immigration crime. However, human rights group Liberty has raised concerns about the bill, warning that it could set a dangerous precedent by granting counter-terrorism-style powers for non-terrorism-related offenses. The group also expressed concern about insufficient safeguards against unnecessary prosecutions.

The International Rescue Committee UK welcomed the government's commitment to reforming the asylum system but called for the establishment of safe routes for those fleeing conflict and persecution.

In response to the release of deportation footage, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer criticized the government's decision, accusing them of cruelty and pointing out the irony of adopting the extreme rhetoric of Reform UK. However, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper denied suggestions that the decision to broadcast the deportation footage was motivated by political considerations, stating that it was in line with the party’s election manifesto.

Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle defended the deportations, asserting that they align with the Labour government's pledge to create an immigration system based on compassion and dignity.