More than 53,000 illegal migrants cannot be traced

More than 53,000 undocumented migrants have absconded and cannot be located, according to internal Home Office data.
A leaked document labelled “absconder pool” indicates that, as of October, 53,298 migrants who either breached immigration bail conditions or escaped detention are currently unaccounted for.
An additional 736 foreign national offenders have also disappeared after being released from prison or immigration detention. Many of them are believed to be subject to deportation orders.
The figures were supplied by a whistleblower to Rupert Lowe MP, formerly of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
The Home Office declined to confirm the accuracy of the numbers, saying it does not comment on speculation.
However, the totals mirror findings published in a 2016 report by the chief inspector of borders and immigration, which recorded nearly 60,000 absconders at the time.

Rupert Lowe, the independent MP for Great Yarmouth, said:
“I am calling on the Home Secretary to urgently set out what steps are being taken to apprehend and deport these criminals. This is a national security emergency and must be treated as such.”
Tony Smith, former director-general of Border Force, said it remains “quite easy” for migrants on immigration bail, especially those close to being removed, to disappear.
He explained that individuals can often blend into the cash-in-hand economy, despite checks such as right-to-work and right-to-rent requirements. Absconders are typically identified only during enforcement raids, when biometric data such as fingerprints reveal their status. Even then, he noted, they may submit new applications to remain in the UK.
Smith also suggested that the Home Office should consider making wider use of technology, such as mobile phone data, to locate missing migrants, while acknowledging the human rights sensitivities involved.
Under Operation Sterling, the Government has invested £5 million to strengthen Immigration Enforcement efforts targeting illegal workers in sectors such as takeaways, delivery services, beauty salons, and car washes.
Between October 2024 and September 2025, more than 8,000 undocumented migrants were arrested during 11,000 enforcement raids, a year-on-year increase of 63 percent.
A Home Office spokesperson said:
“Under this Government, returns of people with no right to remain have surged, with almost 50,000 people removed, up 23 percent.”
They added that new reforms announced by the Home Secretary aim to make illegal migration less attractive and streamline removals.
Home Office guidance defines an absconder as someone who has escaped detention or breached immigration bail conditions and cannot be contacted through required follow-up procedures. A specialist tracing team works with police, government agencies, and private companies to locate absconders and, when possible, deploy enforcement teams.