Overview
- Home Office figures for July 2024 to December 2025 show 17,483 enforcement visits and 12,322 arrests, up 77% and 83% on the previous 18 months.
- Of those arrested, about 1,726 have been removed so far, roughly one in seven, with others detained or pursuing legal challenges.
- Officials highlight new tools and penalties, including body‑worn video rolled out from September, expanded checks under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, and fines up to £60,000 for employers.
- Regional updates include London, the West Midlands and the South West recording the highest arrest totals, with Northern Ireland reporting 187 raids and 234 arrests in 2025 and Scotland logging 695 raids and 400 arrests.
- Ministers link the crackdown to broader removals they put at around 50,000 over the past year, while opposition figures argue enforcement alone will not cut small‑boat arrivals or resolve wider border‑control pressures.