According to the Home Office, 5,074 were forced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK, up 24% between July 5 last year and January 31, compared with 4,089 forced returns in the previous 12-month period.
The Home Office has said it shared photos and video of removing migrants for the first time to give a better understanding of the process, as a minister defended the decision to publish footage of immigration raids on illegal workers earlier on Monday.
Ms Cooper denied suggestions that the Labour government’s decision to publish footage of raids was in response to Reform UK’s poll ratings, instead saying it had been part of the party’s election manifesto.
Reacting to the deportation footage, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: “This Labour government are plumbing new depths with their plan to broadcast footage of people being detained and deported.
“Nineteen thousand people who don’t have any right to be in the UK returned since the general election, and also a big increase in the illegal working raids and arrests (…) make sure we’re also going after the employers who are exploiting migrant workers.”.
