Of the 35,052 recorded in the year to September 2025, only 9,115 were enforced removals involving detention and deportation flights.
Zia Yusuf and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (Image: GETTY)
Shabana Mahmood has been accused of “deliberate deception after claiming Labour has removed nearly 50,000 illegal migrants since the July 2024 election. The accusation stems from the Home Office’s own classification of “returns”. Of the 35,052 recorded in the year to September 2025, only 9,115 were enforced removals involving detention and deportation flights.
Posting on X, by Reform UK’s policy chief Zia Yusuf said: “The Home Secretary is lying to the public. ‘Nearly 50,000 illegal migrants removed or deported’. Most of these people left voluntarily, many without the government’s knowledge. Using the word ‘removed’ – an active verb implying government action – is deliberate deception.” His post, viewed over 115,000 times in 24 hours, has 7,204 likes and 1,553 reposts.
The row erupted just before Ms Mahmood unveils Danish-style asylum reforms in Parliament on Monday. She said in her X video on November 14: “Nearly 50,000 illegal migrants have been removed or deported since the election.”
She added: “Across Europe, asylum claims are falling, but in Britain, they are rising.” She called the Tory Rwanda scheme: “a £700 million fantasy that wasted years and money.”
The remaining 25,937 were voluntary departures, many of which were only confirmed after individuals had already left the country and were verified through later checks, such as exit records or benefit cessation.
Labour’s headline figure of nearly 50,000, which covers the full period from July 2024 to October 2025, includes these untracked exits, leading critics to argue it misrepresents the scale of active government enforcement.
A Home Office ally said: “Today, becoming a refugee equals a lifetime of protection in Britain. Mahmood will change that, making refugee status temporary and subject to regular review. The moment your home country is safe to return to, you will be removed.”
Under the plans, five-year refugee status ends. Protection becomes temporary with annual reviews. Settlement requires 10 years, English fluency, no benefits, a clean record, and National Insurance contributions.
Judges must prioritise public safety over family life rights. Family reunion rules are tightening, adopting a model similar to Denmark’s, which has cut claims to a 40-year low.
Labour says the 50,000 total represents a 23% rise in removals, driven by record raids and a UK-France pilot that has returned 113 people since August. However, Channel crossings hit 39,075 this year, beating 2024’s full total of 36,816. Asylum claims reached 111,084 in the year to June 2025—the highest since 2001. Top nationalities: Pakistanis (10.1%), Afghans (7.5%), Iranians (7.0%).
Speaking in September, Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “I will reiterate, nobody that comes into our country on the back of a lorry or via a boat will ever be given refugee status, will ever be given leave to remain.
“It is unfair. It is wrong… Everyone that comes illegally will be deported, full stop.” He pledged to leave the European Court of Human Rights and deport “hundreds of thousands” of legal migrants under stricter visas.
Refugee Council CEO Mr Enver Solomon said: “These sweeping changes will not deter people from making dangerous crossings, but they will unfairly prevent men, women and children from putting down roots and integrating into British life.” He warned the plans create “cruel limbo” and add to Home Office chaos.
The asylum system costs £5.4 billion yearly, including £2.1 billion on hotels for 32,059 people. Small boats still land in Dover—Friday’s arrivals included families and a man in a wheelchair.
With Reform polling 21% on immigration, the clash is brutal. Labour pushes “less in, more out.” Reform demands a total reset. Monday’s statement could make or break Ms Mahmood’s border strategy.
