Labour’s Record: Were 35,000 People Deported from the UK?

UK Home Secretary’s Immigration Claim Contradicts Official Data, Fact-Checkers Say

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has come under scrutiny after claiming the government “has detained and removed over 35,000 people with no right to be here” during Labour’s first year in power. The claim, posted on social media platform X, was accompanied by footage showing individuals being escorted onto buses and aircraft by what appear to be immigration enforcement officers.

However, Full Fact, the UK’s largest fact-checking charity, has challenged the accuracy of this statement, pointing out that it significantly misrepresents the government’s own data.

According to Home Office statistics covering the period from July 5, 2024, to July 4, 2025 — Labour’s first year in government — while just over 35,000 immigration returns did take place, only 9,115 were classified as “enforced returns,” the category which includes people removed from detention.

The remaining 25,937 departures — nearly three-quarters of the total figure cited by Mahmood — were categorized as “voluntary returns.” This classification encompasses individuals who left the UK of their own accord, sometimes with Home Office support, as well as “other verified returns” — people who departed without informing immigration authorities.

The discrepancy raises questions about the presentation of immigration enforcement statistics and whether the government is accurately portraying its border control efforts to the public.

Immigration policy has been a central focus for the Labour government since taking office last July. The party campaigned on promises to reform the asylum system and take a firmer approach on immigration enforcement, while distinguishing itself from the previous Conservative government’s controversial Rwanda deportation scheme.

The Home Office has defended the claim when contacted by fact-checkers, denying that the statement was misleading. Full Fact reports they have written to the department seeking further clarification on the figures.

Immigration experts note that the distinction between voluntary and enforced returns is significant. Dr. Sarah Spencer from the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society at Oxford University explained in a recent analysis: “Voluntary returns are not only more cost-effective for the taxpayer but also less traumatic for the individuals involved. Conflating these distinct categories can create a misleading impression of enforcement activity.”

The Home Office data further reveals that in the year ending June 2025 — broadly overlapping with Labour’s first year in power — there were 5,782 enforced removals from detention and 2,833 other returns from detention. This suggests that even when considering all types of returns from detention, the figure falls substantially short of the 35,000 claimed.

The immigration bail system complicates the picture somewhat. Some individuals who have been detained can subsequently apply to leave the UK voluntarily, potentially being granted immigration bail before departure. According to Home Office definitions, people who agree to leave voluntarily from detention are counted under “enforced returns,” though this represents only a portion of the overall figure.

This incident occurs against the backdrop of increasing public debate about immigration policies and transparency in government communications. Opposition parties have criticized what they call “misleading claims” about enforcement statistics, while civil liberties organizations have raised concerns about the tone of immigration rhetoric.

The Welsh Refugee Council, responding to the controversy, called for “accurate, humane discourse” around immigration issues. “Statistical clarity matters when discussing the lives of vulnerable people,” said their spokesperson. “We need to ensure that public debate is grounded in factual accuracy.”

As the Labour government approaches its second year in power, the scrutiny over immigration policies and how they are communicated to the public continues to intensify, with fact-checking organizations playing an increasingly important role in verifying government claims.