£18 million paid to commercial airlines for removal of persons from the UK

'Freemovement',  requested information (under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.) on removals by commercial flights (not including charter flights) from the United Kingdom in financial year April 2009 - March 2010

Below is the response:

Thank you for your e-mail of 12 July where you have requested information on removals by commercial flights from the United Kingdom in financial year April 2009 - March 2010.This request falls to be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I will answer questions 1 and 2 in turn, and 3 and 4 together.

1. What were the total payments to all airlines for the removal of persons in breach of immigration rules on commercial flights?

The total payment to all airlines for persons in breach of the immigration rules on commercial (scheduled) flights for the requested period is £18,073,370. Please note that the figure quoted is not provided under National Statistics protocols and has been derived from local management information. It is therefore provisional and subject to change.

2. What were the total number of persons removed?

The total number of persons removed during 2009/10 was 63,950. This includes enforced removals, persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at the juxtaposed controls), notified voluntary departures, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Returns programmes, and cases where it has been established that the person left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.

3. What were the total payments to individual airlines (British airways, Kenya airways et al) for the removal of persons in breach of immigration rules?

4. What the total number of persons removed by each airline?

Questions 3 & 4,I can confirm that the UK Border Agency holds the information that you have requested, however, it has been decided not to communicate this to you pursuant to the exemptions under Section 31(1)(e) and Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Source for this message:
Freedom of Information Act 2000

------------ Charter flights -------- Scheduled flights

2009 10: 10,300,000 ------------- 18,073,370.00

2008-09: 8,227,553.38 ----------- 18,562,162.35

2007-08: 4,811,162.12 ----------- 15,606,958.80

2006-07: 4,149,294.35 ----------- 12,895,668.31

2005-06: 4,339,865.31 ----------- 12,933,092.35

(1) The total cost of charter and scheduled flights includes administration cost plus cancellation fees.

67 UKBA Charter flights in 2009/2010 costing £10.3 million

'Freemovement' requested information on Charter flights removing persons from the UK who have breached UK immigration rules.

The request was dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

1. In the financial year April 2009/March 2010 how many charter flights took place?

The number of charter flights in which UK Border Agency participated in the last financial year was 67. 

[ Average number of removees 32 per flight]

[ Average cost of removing each person £4,804 ]

[ Average cost of each flight £153,731.34 ]

2. To which countries did they fly?

In 2009 (to 8 December), 67 charter flights were conducted to the following destination countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Congo (Brazzaville), Cameroon, Iraq, Jamaica, Kosovo and Nigeria.

3. How many persons were removed: male/female/children?

There were 2144 cumulative removals on charter aircraft in financial year April 2009 to March 2010.

This can be broken down to 1973 adult males, 136 adult females and 35 children.

4. What if any were the operational names of the flights?

The Operational names of each flight carried out in financial year April 2009/March 2010 are

Operation Consimilar (Iraq),

Operation Castor (Democratic Republic of Congo),

Operation Photon (Cameroon)

Operation Rangat (Iraq),

Operation Ravel (Afghanistan),

Operation Majestic (Nigeria),

Operation Waldrop (Jamaica) and

Operation Aardvark (Kosovo/Albania).

5. What was the total cost of the flights?
The Charter flight costs for the last year were £10,300,000*.

* The total cost of charter flights includes administration cost plus cancellation fees.