Sam Carling, Labour MP for North West Cambridgeshire, has welcomed new figures showing the Government has removed over 24,000 people with no right to remain in the UK in its first nine months – the highest number in eight years.

Compared to the same period a year earlier, enforced returns have increased by 21%, with the removal of offenders from overseas also rising by 16%.

The figures come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted the first-ever global Organised Immigration Crime summit in London. Bringing together representatives from over 40 countries, the summit marks a major step forward in tackling illegal migration at an international level.

Labour is determined to fix the broken immigration system left behind by the Conservatives, restoring order and delivering a fair and effective approach to enforcement. As part of this commitment, the Government has also announced plans to strengthen checks on employment eligibility in the gig economy. Businesses that fail to carry out proper checks will now face fines of up to £60,000 per worker, cracking down on rogue employers who turn a blind eye to illegal work.

Sam Carling MP said:

“When Labour took office, the immigration and asylum system was in chaos. The Tories left us with asylum decisions at a standstill, a permanent backlog of cases, and little enforcement even against those with no right to be here.

“This Government is increasing removals of people that have not been granted asylum, while taking global leadership on tackling organised immigration crime. International challenges need international solutions. Where the Conservatives turned their backs, Labour is stepping up as part of our Plan for Change.”