More than 50,000 illegal immigrants, including about 1,200 foreign national criminals, have been recorded as missing from the UK immigration system after failing to maintain contact with authorities, according to a report in The Telegraph.Data up to December 2024 and reviewed by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration show more than 50,000 people are listed as fugitives in government records, the newspaper reported.The total includes failed asylum seekers who allegedly disappeared after their claims were rejected, migrants who arrived in Britain and later went missing while on immigration bail, and foreign criminals who escaped deportation after serving prison sentences.Under UK immigration rules, people released on immigration bail are required to report regularly to the Home Office. Those who fail to do so may be classified as fugitives and subject to enforcement measures, including arrest and detention.The number of fugitives awaiting an initial decision from the Home Office exceeds the existing asylum backlog. Government figures for March showed that 48,758 asylum seekers were still waiting for a preliminary decision on their applications.This report comes ahead of the new immigration law to be introduced next week. The proposed measures aim to make it more difficult for migrants to use human rights protections and modern slavery claims to delay or prevent deportation.A Home Office source told The Telegraph that the previous government’s handling of the asylum system was “messy”, adding that poor data management and a growing asylum backlog contributed to the current situation.The source also said immigration enforcement funding is being increased from £681 million in 2023-24 to £1.33 billion by 2028-29, while the number of enforcement officers is expected to increase from 4,500 to 7,300.Around 70,000 illegal immigrants and foreign criminals have been deported from the UK from July 2024, including around 10,000 foreign citizen criminals. Approximately 19,800 foreign citizen criminals currently reside in the community awaiting deportation.The Home Office is also investing an additional £10 million in new reporting systems, including digital self-service kiosks, as well as an additional £3 million to improve the technology used to trace historical fugitive cases.