Home Office

Migration Statistics

Lunar House

17th Floor

40 Wellesley Rd

Croydon, CR9 2BY

1. Introduction

This metadata information is provided by United Kingdom's authorities to ensure compliance with the requirements of Articles 5 and 7 of Regulation 862/2007 on Community Statistics on Migration and International Protection.

As required by Article 9 of the Regulation 862/2007, Member States must report to Eurostat on the data sources used, the reasons for the selection of these sources and the effects of the selected data on the quality of the statistics. Member States shall provide it with all the information necessary to evaluate the quality, comparability and completeness of the statistical information.

The reference terms for the assessment of quality compliance are provided by Eurostat in the EIL technical guidelines applied for 2014 reference period (See section 3.4 Statistical concepts and definitions from the EIL ESMS file).

2. General description of the statistical domain at national level

EIL National System (level of development, main changes that affected the system in the last years and further development)

These data are administrative counts of Home Office's casework processes, which are defined in UK legislation and are recorded under detailed categories on the Home Office’s administrative database. The database is continually being developed. The main changes to the statistics occurred in 2012, the Home Office revised the categories for those departing the UK to separately identify enforced removals and notified voluntary departures which were previously combined.

Legal national framework relevant for EIL statistics

Immigration Rules, which are laid before Parliament by the Home Secretary, govern the entry and refusal of entry of passengers into the UK, the conditions of stay in the UK, the variation of such conditions following entry, settlement and the deportation or removal of individuals.

Official Statistics are defined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 as all those statistical outputs produced by central Government departments and agencies, by the Office for National Statistics, by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, or by other Crown bodies. Official statistics include several categories of statistics produced by public bodies:

•           'National Statistics' - these are certified as compliant with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

•           statistics produced by the GSS that are not 'National Statistics'

•           statistics produced by Crown Bodies but not under the professional management of the GSS

•           statistics produced by non-Crown Bodies included in secondary legislation

In the Immigration Statistics release, any data described as ‘Official Statistics’ are drawn from the Home Office’s administrative systems and have not necessarily been subject to the same detailed verification processes as those badged as National Statistics (NS). For example such figures may include:

(a)   data produced internally for operational management purposes in the first instance, rather than produced solely for the published statistics; 

(b)   data added to the Home Office’s migration statistics publications after these were last  designated as National Statistics and prior to re-designation as NS by the UK Statistics Authority.

Institutional infrastructure (list of the institutions involved in managing the EIL registers and the institutions involved in the production of the EIL statistics)

The UK's Migration Statistics are responsible for producing the EIL statistics.

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens refused entry at the external borders

These data are administrative counts of Home Office's Border Force’s casework processes, which are defined in UK legislation and are recorded under detailed categories on the Home Office’s administrative database.

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present

The statistics on departures are extracted from the Home Office’s Case Information Database (CID). The data are derived from administrative information used for the processing of cases which are subject to removal action. 

The data provided include persons served in a particular year with enforcement papers, persons served with a notice of intention to make a deportation order, persons identified under the Facilitated Return Scheme and persons identified as subject to automatic deportation.  A proportion of these cases will since have been removed or departed voluntarily, may have appealed and thus be awaiting an outcome or may have successfully appealed against the serving of enforcement papers. The issue of a notice of intention to make a deportation order is the point at which a decision is made to pursue deportation. It is possible that such a decision can be overturned at a later date (for example if the subject is successful at appeal).             

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens ordered to leave

The statistics on departures are extracted from the Home Office’s Case Information Database (CID). The data are derived from administrative information used for the processing of cases which are subject to removal action. 

The data provided include persons served in a particular year with enforcement papers, persons served with a notice of intention to make a deportation order, persons identified under the Facilitated Return Scheme and persons identified as subject to automatic deportation.  A proportion of these cases will since have been removed or departed voluntarily, may have appealed and thus be awaiting an outcome or may have successfully appealed against the serving of enforcement papers. The issue of a notice of intention to make a deportation order is the point at which a decision is made to pursue deportation. It is possible that such a decision can be overturned at a later date (for example if the subject is successful at appeal).

General procedure for recording Non-EU citizens returned following an order to leave

The statistics on departures are extracted from the Home Office’s Case Information Database (CID). The data are derived from administrative information used for the processing of cases which are subject to removal action. Figures include enforced removals, cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after notifying the Home Office of their intention to leave prior to their departure, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes and persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities

3. Main problems that affect the quality of the data and what tables are concerned including the compliance status with the definitions from EIL Technical Guideline

(See metadata information including concepts and definitions from the EIL ESMS file)

We anticipate that data for the latest full calendar year will be revised in due course. On occasion, earlier data will be revised. It is not possible to evaluate whether any future revisions will be upward or downward; but the reasons for revisions are likely to include:

• late reporting of cases – a small proportion of cases are not included when the statistics are produced;
• the results of data-cleansing exercises, such as data identified that cannot be included when the statistics are calculated because of missing or invalid values, the identification of duplicates in the data; and
• reconciliations with alternative data sources which identify cases not yet included in the statistics.

1. Description of the Quality management system at national level

Official Statistics are defined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 as all those statistical outputs produced by central Government departments and agencies, by the Office for National Statistics, by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, or by other Crown bodies. Official statistics include several categories of statistics produced by public bodies:

• 'National Statistics' - these are certified as compliant with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
• statistics produced by the GSS that are not 'National Statistics'
• statistics produced by Crown Bodies but not under the professional management of the GSS
• statistics produced by non-Crown Bodies included in secondary legislation

In the Immigration Statistics release, any data described as ‘Official Statistics’ are drawn from the Home Office’s administrative systems and have not necessarily been subject to the same detailed verification processes as those badged as National Statistics (NS). For example such figures may include:

(a)   data produced internally for operational management purposes in the first instance, rather than produced solely for the published statistics; 

(b)   data added to the Home Office’s migration statistics publications after these were last  designated as National Statistics and prior to re-designation as NS by the UK Statistics Authority.

• Good quality (extensive quality) - covers all quality requirements, substantial quality checks are performed and a very good cooperation exists between institutions.
• Sufficient quality (acceptable quality) - covers minimum requirements, but issues still exist and more information/validation is needed for a better quality assessment and acceptable cooperation issues exists.
• Poor quality (inadequate quality) - the data do not meet the minimum requirements or there is not enough information for quality assessment and important cooperation issues exists.

1. General aspects

The statistics collected under the Regulation 862/2007 are widely used in official publications and by a wide range of users at national, European and International level.

Main users of EIL statistics at national level
The EIL statistics produced are regularly used by UK governmental departments, academic researchers and civil society groups working on a wide range of topics including the integration of immigrants, the development and monitoring of national asylum and immigration procedures, and the projection of the future population and labour force.

Main users of EIL statistics at European and International level
The main users of EIL statistics are Eurostat, DG Home Affairs, EASO and UK governmental departments. The statistics are used in several publications of the Commission, as well as in the preparation of regular reports, policy proposals and analysis. The statistics also provide an input to the EMN studies and reports that address specific issues of current policy importance.

2. EIL data publication at national level

Presentation of the EIL statistics published at national level

The Home Office publishes statistics at a national level on:

- Passengers initially refused entry by country of nationality;

 - Removals and voluntary departures by type, citizenship, destination, age, sex, removals of foreign national offenders, enforced removals and voluntary departures by harm assessment category

Differences between the data provided to Eurostat and the data published at national level 

Removals: the data published at national level includes multiple events rather than people; for example, if a person is removed from the UK, returns within the year and is then removed again would be counted twice in the national statistics.

The data published at national level includes removals to EU states (including Dublin cases).

Not applicable.

Completeness of the data provided based on Articles 5 and 7 Regulation 862/2007 (mandatory data provision) and justification of the missing mandatory breakdowns and completeness of the data provided on voluntary basis.

 Not applicable.

Procedures and classifications used in case of missing information (e.g. unknown citizenship, age, etc)

Unknown citizenship, age and gender is classified as unknown. 

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Details related to the data revision policy and expected revisions of the data sent to Eurostat

We anticipate that data for the latest full calendar year will be revised. It is not possible to evaluate whether any future revisions will be upward or downward; but the reasons for revisions are likely to include: late reporting of cases – a small proportion of cases are not included when the statistics are produced; the results of data-cleansing exercises, such as data identified that cannot be included when the statistics are calculated because of missing or invalid values, the identification of duplicates in the data; and reconciliations with alternative data sources which identify cases not yet included in the statistics.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not available.

Not available.

Not available.

Problems with data provision to Eurostat in due time and the impact of these problems on the data quality provided to Eurostat

The Home Office does not anticipate any problems with the transmission of future data returns. We will inform Eurostat immediately if this situation changes.

Not available.

The UK does not issue a news release for the data supplied to Eurostat. However, the UK does issue a statistical news release for the quarterly Immigration Statistics publication. Data submitted to Eurostat on refused entry at port and departures that have left the UK (by citizenship and destination) are a subset of the figures published in the quarterly release.

The UK does not separately publish the data that is supplied to Eurostat. However, the UK does produce a quarterly Immigration Statistics publication. Data submitted to Eurostat on refused entry at port and departures that have left the UK (by citizenship and destination) are a subset of the figures published in the quarterly release.

Presentation of the National online national database for EIL data accessible to the public and the accessibility procedure

The UK references within the quarterly Immigration Statistics release that data are supplied to Eurostat. 

Not available.

Not applicable.

The User Guide that accompanies the quarterly Immigration Statistics release is designed to be a useful reference guide with explanatory notes on the issues and classifications which are key to the production and presentation of the Home Office’s quarterly Immigration Statistics releases. The latest version is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-home-office-immigration-statistics--9

Not applicable.

Not available.

Presentation of the available quality management - documentation

The User Guide that accompanies the quarterly Immigration Statistics release is designed to be a useful reference guide with explanatory notes on the issues and classifications which are key to the production and presentation of the Home Office’s quarterly Immigration Statistics releases. The latest version is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-home-office-immigration-statistics--9

The UK 's quarterly Immigration Statistics release is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

1. Provision of data using the Eurostat EIL Technical Guidelines and exceptions applied

The UK is unable to distinguish between persons identified as illegally present and those that are ordered to leave. Once a person is found to be illegally present in the country, he/she is served with enforcement papers and informed of the intention to remove. As such, the figures on persons found to be illegally present are the same as those who are subject to an obligation to leave. 

2. Details on categories of Non-EU citizens difficult to be classified using the reference definitions from EIL technical guidelines and the categories excluded from these reasons (excluded from the statistics reported)

The UK is unable to distinguish between persons identified as illegally present and those that are ordered to leave. Once a person is found to be illegally present in the country, he/she is served with enforcement papers and informed of the intention to remove. As such, the figures on persons found to be illegally present are the same as those who are subject to an obligation to leave. 

3. Description of records related to "Unknown" country of citizenship category

Unknown citizenship, age and gender is classified as unknown.

4. Description of records related to "Unknown" age category

Unknown citizenship, age and gender is classified as unknown.

5. Description of records related to "Unknown" sex category

Unknown citizenship, age and gender is classified as unknown.

6. Establishing the reported ground in case of “multiple grounds” for the same refusal and the impact on double counting of the person in the same dataset

Not applicable. Multiple grounds are not included and there is no impact of double counting. 

7. Type of "external border" applicable

Land border, Sea border and Air border

8. The definition of “refused Non-EU citizens” applied

The Schengen Borders Code's refusal definition is applies for the Statistics reported to Eurostat

9. The correspondence between the national system of “grounds for refusal" classification and Schengen Borders Code classification.

A mapping procedure has been applied between the two classifications - national vs schengen border code.

10. The definition of “Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present” applied

The data provided include persons served with enforcement papers, persons served with a notice of intention to make a deportation order, persons identified under the Facilitated Return Scheme and persons identified as subject to automatic deportation. A proportion of these cases will since have been removed or departed voluntarily, may have appealed and thus be awaiting an outcome or may have successfully appealed against the serving of enforcement papers. 

11. The definition of “Non-EU citizens ordered to leave” applied

 The data provided include persons served with enforcement papers, persons served with a notice of intention to make a deportation order, persons identified under the Facilitated Return Scheme and persons identified as subject to automatic deportation. A proportion of these cases will since have been removed or departed voluntarily, may have appealed and thus be awaiting an outcome or may have successfully appealed against the serving of enforcement papers.

12. The definition of “Non-EU citizens returned following an order to leave” applied

 The UK Home Office seeks to remove persons who do not have any legal right to stay in the United Kingdom. This includes persons who:

• enter, or attempt to enter, the UK illegally (including persons entering clandestinely and by means of deception on-entry);
• overstay their period of legal right to remain in the UK;
• breach their conditions of leave;
• are subject to deportation action; and
• have been refused asylum.

Figures include enforced removals, cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after notifying the Home Office of their intention to leave prior to their departure, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes and persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.    

Not applicable.

Methodological changes between the present reference year and previous year(s)

 No changes have been made.

Justification of the important changes in figures reported for the present reference year and previous year(s)

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Links between the EIL statistics and Asylum statistics and details related to the asylum applicant(s) case(s) included in EIL statistics. 

EIL Statistics and Asylum Statistics are produced by the UK's Migration Statistics unit and undergo the same procedures. The EIL statistics on those who have left the territory include people who have previously sought asylum.

1. Links between the statistics on refused Non-EU citizens and the statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present.

Data on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present is not a subset of Non-EU citizens refused. This is not cohort data. 

2. Links between the statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present and the statistics on Non-EU citizens with obligation to leave.

The data provided is the same. 

3. Links between the statistics on Non-EU citizens found to be illegally present and the statistics on Non-EU citizens with obligation to leave.

Same question as 2 above.

4. Coherence between the EIL statistics and Asylum statistics

EIL Statistics and Asylum Statistics are produced by the UK Home Office's Migration Statistics unit and undergo the same procedures.

5. Dublin cases included in EIL statistics and the impact on the totals provided 

Dublin cases are excluded from the EIL statistics but included in the national statistics.

6. Inclusion of voluntary returned Non-EU citizens in the statistics on Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory 

The UK includes voluntary returns within the data on non-EU citizens who actually left the territory.

Figures include enforced removals, cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after notifying the Home Office of their intention to leave prior to their departure, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes and persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

4. Links and differences between the Non-EU citizens with obligation to leave and Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory

Data on Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory is not a subset of Non-EU citizens with obligation to leave. This is not cohort data. People who actually left the MS terrority in a year may not necessarily relate to those who are subject to an obligation to leave in the same year.

5. Links and differences between the Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory and Non-EU citizens who left the territory to a third country

Data on Non-EU citizens who left the territory to a third country is a subset of the data supplied for Non-EU citizens who actually left the territory. 

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

National systematic process of gathering data for official statistics.

Refused entry at border - These data are administrative counts of Home Office's Border Force’s casework processes, which are defined in UK legislation and are recorded under detailed categories on the Home Office’s administrative database; they do not require sampling processes or the compilation of the figures and hence have no associated sampling errors.

Left the territory - The statistics on departures are extracted from the Home Office’s Case Information Database (CID). The data are derived from administrative information used for the processing of cases which are subject to removal action.

Description of the data validation system at national level

Refused entry at border - These data undergo a detailed reconciliation process (similar to "left the territory" process below); and are subject to internal data quality checks.

Left the territory - The Home Office statistics team (Migration Statistics) reconcile the removals and voluntary departures dataset with teams within the Home Office, by comparing a unique identifier from each removal in the Migration Statistics extract against record-level data provided by the Home Office. Where a removal is found in only one of the extracts, a number of data quality checks are carried out, including: that each asylum removal is correctly linked to an asylum case outcome on CID; and that the removal categories are consistent with Home Office data. The team in the Home Office are also asked to investigate the discrepancies using detailed sources on individual cases. A case is only included in the published tables if: it appears in both extracts; or it appears in one of the extracts and Migration Statistics team is happy that it is correctly recorded as a removal. For example, if the removal date indicated was before an application date for the same case, then further investigation would be undertaken. A cross-check of tables, to ensure consistent totals, is undertaken as part of the production process. Data are also checked for consistency against previous totals, and significant changes investigated with Home Office operational and policy teams.

Estimations used: Details on the estimations done for EIL statistics (methodology applied and the concerned categories and tables)

The statistics are actual counts as recorded on the administrative and not estimations.

As the data matching for the other confirmed voluntary departures is undertaken retrospectively this means these figures are particularly subject to greater upward revision than would be the case for other categories of departure. In the light of the high use of retrospective data matching to check departures, figures are reviewed each quarter to decide whether they require revision. Figures for notified voluntary departures and other confirmed voluntary departures are revised for two consecutive quarters. Revised tables are sent to Eurostat within two weeks after the publication.

The following classification is used for data availability at Eurostat level:

The term "not applicable" relates to the categories of cases which do not exist in national legislation/administrative procedures and therefore such statistics cannot be issued.

The term "not available" relates to categories of data that exist in the national legal/administrative system but cannot be delivered under EIL data collection for various reasons (e.g. data cannot exist, data exist but are not collected, data are unreliable, etc.).