Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 23 October (HL Deb, cols 769–70), how many individuals have been identified as being in the United Kingdom unlawfully only through checks carried out by banks and building societies under the Immigration Act 2016.

Any estimate of the exact size of the illegal population is extremely difficult and there would be considerable uncertainty around it.

The banking measures only apply to disqualified persons - these are illegal migrants who are known to the Home Office and are liable for removal or deportation from the UK. The Home Office shares details of disqualified persons with banks and building societies via a specified anti-fraud organisation, for them to check against their records.

The 2016 Act banking measures came into force on 30 October; however, banks and building societies are required to conduct their first immigration check on all personal current accounts within the first quarter (January – March) of 2018. Banks and building societies must report any matches to the Home Office and only take action on accounts when instructed by the Home Office.