More foreign criminals and illegal migrants removed

The Home Secretary has sent out an urgent warning today (Thursday 18 August) to dangerous foreign criminals and immigration offenders in the UK that the government will not rest until they are removed and our streets are made safer.

The vow comes as new statistics show the Home Office has removed 1,741 foreign national offenders (FNO) from the UK since the start of 2022, including 487 Albanian FNOs. Almost 1,000 Albanians in total (FNOs and immigration offenders) have been returned.

The renewed focus on removals, part of the New Plan for Immigration, is fulfilling the government’s commitment to keep the British public safe and tackle illegal migration.

Yesterday, the Home Secretary agreed a landmark deal with Pakistan, to remove Pakistani nationals with no legal right to remain in the UK, including criminals, failed asylum seekers and immigration offenders.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

“This work shows we will stop at nothing to remove those with no right to be here and I am proud that we have removed almost 1,000 Albanian foreign national offenders and immigration offenders this year so far, including some who crossed the Channel illegally to come to the UK.

“I want to be crystal clear though that this is just the beginning. I have tasked Home Office teams to renew their pursuit of dangerous criminals who devastate lives and communities and leave their victims and families to pick up the pieces. They must be swiftly removed so we can make our streets safer.

“The British public rightly expect us to crack down hard on those abusing the system which is why our new Nationality and Borders Act will help end the cycle of last-minute claims and appeals that can delay removals.”    

Today, Home Office statistics show:

• The UK has removed 1,741 foreign national offenders since January 1, 2022
• • 487 FNOs removed to Albania, including individuals convicted of rape, sexual offences, indecent assault of a minor, death by dangerous driving, facilitating illegal entry to the UK, trafficking, kidnap, robbery, carrying weapons, dealing Class A drugs, violence and burglary.
  • The 487 criminals had 606 convictions between them.
•  In July 2022, 243 foreign national offenders were removed from the UK on both charter and scheduled flights.  

Albanian foreign national offenders returned this year include:

• An individual sentenced to 18 years for Class A (cocaine) drug supply worth more than £2 million, was returned on a charter flight in June.
• An individual sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for intent to supply Class A drugs, was returned on a charter flight in July.
• An individual sentenced to three years imprisonment for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and to meet a child following grooming, was returned on a charter flight in June.

The UK also removed immigration offenders and illegal migrants who had entered the UK clandestinely – via small boats or hidden in lorries.

Immigration offenders and illegal migrants removed this year include:

• An individual first encountered in June 2022 following his arrest on suspicion of driving with excess drugs. He claimed to have entered the UK in the back of a lorry in 2021 but did not make himself known to authorities. The individual was detained for removal to Albania and agreed voluntarily to return in July 2022.
• An individual first encountered in July 2022 after arriving via a small boat crossing the Channel. He claimed to have come the UK for economic reasons.
• An individual who entered the UK concealed in a lorry in 2015. The person made no claims to the Home Office. He was encountered and detained on 23 April 2022. He returned voluntarily on a charter flight in May  after 12 days in detention.

The individuals were removed via charter or scheduled returns.       

ENDS  

Notes to Editors:      

• These figures have been taken from a live operational database. As such, numbers may change as information on that system is updated.
• Figures for monthly returns totals are sourced from local data. Fuller statistics on monthly returns are released through our quarterly Immigration Statistics and Migration Transparency Data and will be published in due course.   
• In the year ending December 2021 there were 2,673 foreign national offenders returned for the UK.
• The Nationality and Borders Act will further deter illegal entry into the UK, breaking the business model of people-smuggling networks and speed up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK.    

·       Today’s returns flight to Albania is the 42nd operated by the Home Office this year as the government tackles illegal migration and abuse of the asylum system.    

·       By the same point in 2021, the Home Office had operated 42 charter flights. By the same point in 2019 and 2020, the Home Office had operated 13 and 17 flights.

·       For more information on charter flights, please visit: Returns and Charter Flight Factsheet (May 2022) - Home Office in the media (blog.gov.uk)