Returning irregular migrants: Is deportation the UK's only option?

Article

Irregular migration presents a significant public and policy concern across the EU and in particularly in the UK, where the estimated number of irregular migrants is one of the highest in the EU.

We are currently working on forthcoming case studies on the experiences of irregular migrants returning to Morocco and Nigeria from Europe. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews involving over 100 returnees in both countries, we will be investigating how we could ensure more effective policy responses to the return and reintegration of these migrants. In advance of this in-depth IPPR research, we are publishing two short briefings.

Returning irregular migrants: Is deportation the UK's only option? examines the current situation in the UK, where there is no systematic policy of amnesty or regularisation for irregular migrants. With the aim of addressing some of the questions around improving return management, we highlight the limitations in the current UK's response which relies heavily on the forced removal of irregular migrants.

The ultimate goal is to seek an efficient and sustainable approach to returning irregular migrants to their home countries.

Related items

  1. View of Bank of England, Royal Exchange, and Duke of Wellington equestrian statue (1844) with skyscrapers and construction in background.

    Navigating in the fog: Why the OBR should hold its nerve on the productivity forecast

    The fiscal watchdog is under pressure to downgrade its forecast, costing the chancellor billions – but this would be premature.
  2. A busy bus full of people of all ages. An older couple smile at a younger woman with a baby in a pushchair

    Everyday concerns: What people want from transport

    Transport has a key role to play in achieving the UK government's missions and improving lives. 
  3. An unrecognisable woman playing a slot machine in a social club

    Reforming gambling taxation: How to lift half a million children out of poverty

    A key priority for the government’s upcoming child poverty strategy should be to remove the two-child limit and scrap the household benefit cap.