More than 50,000 individuals, including foreign national offenders, are classified as absconders on UK government systems, according to internal Home Office figures.
The data, dating from December 2024 and obtained by the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, indicates that the number of missing illegal migrants exceeds the current number of asylum seekers awaiting initial decisions. These individuals include those refused asylum who have absconded to evade removal, foreign criminals who have evaded deportation, and Channel migrants seeking asylum who disappeared after being placed on immigration bail.
Migrants within the UK's immigration system are required to maintain regular contact with the Home Office through reporting conditions. Failure to do so can result in them being classified as absconders, potentially leading to enforcement actions such as arrest and detention.
Responding to the figures, Labour attributed the situation to what they described as the Conservatives’ "chaotic" management of the asylum system. A Home Office source stated that contact management with individuals without the right to be in the UK was chaotic and that data was unreliable. The source added that under the previous government, removals did not keep pace with arrivals, and asylum decision-making was halted in pursuit of the Rwanda plan, leading to an asylum backlog of 175,000.