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Sources of information in the Key facts and figures leaflet

This page lists the sources of statistics quoted in the latest edition of the UK Border Agency's Key facts and figures leaflet, which was published in November 2009.

We will strengthen our border

Since January this year, we have searched over 723,000 freight vehicles to check for illegal migrants and we have stopped over 22,900 individual attempts to cross the channel illegally.

  • Source: Management Information, January - August 2009 (inclusive). Captured in September 2009.
  • Details of clandestine finds are recorded at the end of each day, providing management information to the business. Our partners, such as port operators or foreign police, also contribute to this information. We cannot comment upon the data provided to us, as we accept this as correct.


We are extending the number of visitors who require visas, and since December 2007, 100% of visas have been fingerprint based. We have enrolled over 5 million sets of fingerprints, detecting thousands of false identities.

  • Source: Management Information, January - August 2009 (inclusive). Captured in September 2009.
  • All UK visa applicants (save for those benefiting from a limited number of exemptions and exceptions) are required to provide biometric data (10-digit finger scans and a digital photograph) as part of the application process. The UK Border Agency's Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) use the biometric data that is recorded, to inform their decisions when processing the visa application, checking the data for matches against a number of databases. If, in the opinion of the ECO, the applicant has deliberately used a false identification to gain entry to the United Kingdom at some time, the ECO will check the visa case working system. The 4 million figure includes fingerprints enrolled during pilot testing in 2006.

So far we have issued 90,000 ID Cards to foreign nationals, exceeding our target by 15,000, a month ahead of schedule.

We will control the numbers coming to the UK to maximise benefits for Britain

In 2008 net-migration, as measured by the International Passenger Survey, fell to 118,000 from 209,000 in 2007, the lowest since the eight accession countries joined the EU in 2004. This represents a reduction of 90,000 in net migration to the UK.

In December 2008, we successfully met our target to conclude 60% of new asylum cases are concluded within 6 months.

Asylum intake is less than a third of the level when it peaked in 2002 (84,130).

The UK Border Agency is continuing to address older asylum cases with more than 220,000 cases concluded to the end of September 2009. This is an increase of more than 22,000 since the end of May.

  • Source: Published in a letter from the Chief Executive of UK Border Agency to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 19th October 2009.
  • Our staff record details of all decisions on an immigration casework database. Analysis of this database produces reports on the numbers and types of immigration asylum case decisions, providing management information to the business.

Migrants from accession countries have paid more in taxes then they've received in benefits and public services each year since 2004. In 2008/09, contribution to tax revenues exceeded expenditure by a ratio of 1.37.

We will count people in and out of the country

e-Borders has screened 112 million passenger movements so far, resulting in over 4000 arrests, and significant counter-terrorist interventions.

  • Source: Management Information, April 2005 to end of August 2009 Captured at the beginning of September 2009.
  • The e-Borders system provides the ability to monitor the movements of passengers before they leave or arrive in the U.K. Data is checked against watchlists, analysed, risk assessed and shared between border agencies, including the police, prior to travel, so that appropriate responses can be carried out.

67,980 people were removed or departed voluntarily from the UK in 2008 - a 7% increase on 2007 (63,365).

We will target criminals


We are deporting record numbers of foreign prisoners - nearly 5,400 in 2008.


Since April 2008 our Immigration Crime Teams helped prosecute in excess of 2,600 offenders involved in people smuggling and other immigrations crimes.

  • Source: Management Information, April 2008 - March 2009 (inclusive). Captured in September 2009.
  • Our staff record details of all prosecutions instigated on an immigration operations database which, since April 2009, has been developed to provide more detailed criminal investigation information. Analysis of this database produces reports on the numbers and types of immigration crime cases, providing management information to the business. Until the development of this system, our police team kept additional records on criminal investigations.

Since January this year, we have seized in excess of 356 million smuggled cigarettes - representing a potential loss of more than £69 million in tax revenue.

  • Source: Management Information, January - August 2009 (inclusive) Captured in September 2009.
  • Our officers at ports, record details of all seizures on a seizure recording database. Analysis of this database produces reports on the value and amount seized, providing management information to the business.

Since January this year, technology used in customs checks at ports has helped in the seizure of illegal drugs worth over £157 million.

  • Source: Management Information, January - August 2009 (inclusive) Captured in September 2009.
  • Our officers at ports, record details of all seizures on a seizure recording database. Analysis of this database produces reports on the value and amount seized, providing management information to the business.

We will ensure fairness and minimise local impacts


Over 2,200 of the world's most vulnerable refugees have been resettled through our Gateway Protection Programme. The programme is operated in conjunction with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and our local authority partners.

  • Source: Management Information, March 2004 - September 2009 (inclusive). Captured in October 2009.
  • The figure of over 2,200 is derived from management information data pulled from the management information held in the Refugee Resettlement Programmes Unit at end September 2009. Statistics relate to the number of individuals for whom the UK Border Agency issues an Immigration Status Document under the Gateway Protection Programme.

Migrants can have a positive impact on public services through employment in public sector occupations, for example the OECD in 2007, estimated that 33% of doctors working in the UK health service in 2005 were trained overseas.

  • Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2007

A8 migrants are 60% less likely than the native population to receive benefits and are 58% less likely to live in social housing. When these results are adjusted for demographic factors, such as age, gender, education and dependent children, A8 migrants are still 13% less likely to claim benefits and 28% less likely to live in social housing.

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