Who is returned from the UK?
Enforced (with escorts) and voluntary (under VRS programme) returns. Home Office figures for 12 countries.
Return is a complex and stressful situation. This is only statistics, not advice. If you are facing return — urgently contact an asylum lawyer.
Need help, not numbers?
Returns by 12 countries — what the numbers show
Three charts based on Home Office data. Your country is highlighted.
Where are people returned from?
Enforced and voluntary returns by 12 countries, 2025.
Source: Home Office
Enforced vs voluntary — ratio by country
100% = all returns for that country.
Source: Home Office
Scale of returns from the UK overall
Enforced and voluntary returns across the UK (all nationalities), 2025.
Source: Home Office
Frequently asked questions
What does «enforced return» mean?
When the Home Office arranges the departure itself — with escorts, sometimes from detention. It happens after an asylum refusal and all appeals are exhausted.
What is a voluntary return?
The VRS (Voluntary Return Service) programme — the Home Office pays for the ticket and sometimes gives a «reintegration package» (up to £3,000). Often used by people who have lost their case but want to avoid detention.
Can you come back to the UK after deportation?
An enforced return usually imposes a re-entry ban of 1–10 years. Voluntary return — no ban. This is a serious difference. → /en/database/lawyers/
What happens after an asylum refusal?
You can appeal to the Tribunal (14-day deadline), then Upper Tribunal, then Judicial Review. In parallel — «further submissions». → /en/asylum-support/appeals/
Where are people returned to?
To their country of citizenship. If you have a refugee document you can go to a third country, but never to your own (by refugee status).
When is this updated?
After each quarterly Home Office release. Latest — 21 May 2026.
Where these numbers come from
All data on this page is official Home Office statistics (Immigration System Statistics, quarterly release; current cut — year ending March 2026).
We don't recalculate or estimate anything — we show the official figures in plain words and update the page after every release. Next release: 27 August 2026.
Download the data: CSV (asylum) · CSV (citizenship) · CSV (returns) · JSON
Data: Home Office, release 21 May 2026 (returns-datasets-mar-2026, Data_Ret_D01, 2025). Page updated: 21 May 2026. Next release: 27 August 2026.