More than 100,000 failed asylum seekers whose claims were rejected in the UK from 2010 to 2024 have no recorded evidence of leaving the country, reveals new analysis by the Migration Observatory at Oxford University. The figures highlight ongoing concerns about the government’s ability to enforce immigration removals and track rejected applicants.
Rising Number Staying
The report shows that 108,022 people who refused asylum over the 14-year period lack departure records. Nearly 27,000 of those rejected from 2010 to 2016 have remained in the UK for at least a decade since applying, while around 2,000 rejected asylum seekers from 2010 were still present by March 2026 — equating to roughly one in four applicants that year.
Sharp Decline In Removals
Removal rates have dropped considerably, with 67% of refused applicants leaving in 2012 (6,124 people), compared to just 33% in 2018 (2,328 departures). By the end of 2025, approximately half of all rejected asylum seekers between 2010 and 2022 were estimated to have left the UK.
Nationality Impact On Removals
Removal likelihoods vary by nationality. Albanian and Brazilian nationals face comparatively higher chances of removal, whereas Iranian, Iraqi and Turkish rejected applicants see far fewer departures despite large claim numbers.
Political Reactions
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the findings, stating the figures undermine immigration law and calling for immediate deportations. Philp advocated withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights and the Modern Slavery treaty to ease removals, pledging that a future Conservative government would act swiftly. Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf also criticised long-term government failures in removal enforcement, promising quicker detention and deportation of individuals without a legal right to remain.
Home Office Response
The Home Office labelled the analysis misleading, pointing out it reflects those not recorded as departed rather than confirmed to still be in the UK. They highlighted record-high enforcement activity with nearly 70,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals removed since the current government took office. Officials said the numbers do not account for voluntary unrecorded departures or those later granted permission to stay and called for further reforms to improve removals.
