Over 250 illegal immigrants have been removed from the West Midlands, Warwickshire and West Mercia during a major campaign by the UK Border Agency.
Since 8 May this year officers from the agency’s Solihull HQ have stepped up efforts to locate, arrest and detain foreign nationals who have overstayed their limited leave to remain visas. Up until 12 July, 102 visa overstayers and 154 other immigration offenders had been arrested. They were removed following unannounced visits by Border Agency officers.
Raids on residential and business addresses have taken place across the region, including Birmingham, Coventry, Rugby, Wolverhampton and Worcester. The majority of those removed are from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
The figures include:
- Foreign nationals who have been removed by force
- Those who have left voluntarily after being contacted by the agency
- Those who have been cross-checked against the e-borders database. The e-borders database confirms the names of all passengers who have left the country on intercontinental flights.
All foreign nationals that have overstayed visas face being barred from re-entering the UK.
