Kenyan Migrants Caught in UK’s Expanded Deportation Drive

Deportations from the United Kingdom have increased sharply under the Labour government, with Kenyan nationals among those affected by a wider drive to remove foreign nationals found to be in breach of immigration or criminal laws.

Since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office in 2024, removals have reached their highest level in a decade. Home Office figures show that nearly 60,000 people have either been deported or left the country voluntarily over the past two years. 

Of these, more than 15,000 were removed after being identified as living in the UK without legal status, representing a 45 percent increase compared with the previous period. A further 43,000 people left voluntarily after being notified that they had no right to remain.

Deportations of foreign national offenders have also risen significantly. More than 8,700 non-citizens convicted of criminal offences or found to be in breach of immigration rules have been removed, an increase of 32 percent. 

The government maintains that the policy is intended to reinforce the integrity of the immigration system and address public concerns over enforcement. Ministers argue that tougher removals are necessary to ease pressure on housing and public services and to strengthen national security. 

The policy is also linked to efforts to deter irregular migration, particularly small boat crossings across the Channel, which have exceeded 65,000 arrivals since Starmer assumed office. Migrant rights organisations have raised concerns about the scope and impact of the measures. 

Minnie Rahman, chief executive of the migrant support group Praxis, said the policy risks reinforcing stereotypes that associate migration with criminal behaviour. She noted that many of those facing deportation have lived in the UK for many years, often with families, employment, and strong community ties.

Rahman warned that some individuals are being removed because of convictions for relatively minor offences committed long ago. She said this approach fails to account for rehabilitation, length of residence, or personal circumstances, and may disproportionately affect long-term residents.

She also referenced the Windrush scandal, which came to light between 2018 and 2020, when members of the Caribbean community who had settled legally in the UK were wrongly detained, denied services, or deported. The scandal exposed serious administrative failures and led to a formal government apology and compensation scheme. Rahman said similar risks now face Kenyan migrants and other long-standing communities.

Advocacy groups have called for an immigration system that gives greater weight to fairness and human rights.