GETTY Angry MPs accused the department of deliberately withholding the information

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It is refusing to release data on numbers seized at our borders – despite a six-month battle by the Daily Express. Angry MPs accused the department of deliberately withholding the information. We have repeatedly asked under Freedom Of Information laws for figures on the number of migrants intercepted at the UK border on the Continent in the first six months of this year.

GETTY MP's have accused the Home Office of withholding the vital information

Our request was made at the height of a summer of migrant chaos in northern France.

If the answer is not forthcoming then we have to believe the Home Office has something to hide Mike Hooke, Ukip

It should have been answered within 20 working days – but four months later we are still waiting for a response. The case has now been taken up by the Information Commissioner’s Office. It has confirmed that the department is in breach of the Freedom of Information Act.

GETTY Over 84,000 illegal immigrants tried to enter the UK in 2015 alone

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall said: “The Home Office’s repeated failure to respond to this perfectly legitimate request is very disturbing. “The obvious explanation that springs to mind is they have something to cover up – and it won’t be that numbers have plummeted. “The Daily Express is upholding the freedom of the press to act on behalf of the public in matters of such importance and the Home Office needs to come clean and reveal the truth they appear to wish to hide.” Tory MP Charlie Elphicke said: “People will rightly want to know how many migrants have tried to break into Britain and how effective the Home Office has been at keeping our border safe and secure.”

Six 'migrants trying to cross Channel' in dinghy spark rescue off Kent coast Thu, August 25, 2016 A small dinghy carrying six suspected migrants has been rescued just off the Kent coast. Play slideshow FameFlynet.uk.com 1 of 10 Migrants Suspected Of Entering The Uk Illegally On An Inflatable Dingy Seized At Dover

GETTY Ukip leader Paul Nutall supported the Daily Express campaign

Earlier this year the Daily Express revealed the number of people caught trying to sneak into the UK in 2015 was 84,088, or one every six minutes. The number seized – equivalent to 230 a day or nearly 10 an hour – was more than double the number caught in 2014. Now we are seeking to establish the number of clandestine entrants successfully intercepted at British border controls in France and Belgium during the first six months of this year. The request was submitted on July 17 and should have been answered by August 16 but the Home Office has declined to provide a reason for the delay or say when the information will be released.

GETTY The Home Office has declined to give a reason why it has been delaying the information

Ukip MEP Mike Hookem said: “If the answer is not forthcoming then we have to believe the Home Office has something to hide. “One has to suppose that if the true numbers were known it would not look too good for Theresa May and her Brexit team.” Tory MP David Davies said: “It is very difficult to get information out of the Home Office – it usually means there is bad news in there somewhere.

GETTY Tory MP Davy Davis defended the delays from the Home Office

Migrants: Sleeping rough in London's Green Park Mon, May 2, 2016 The number of homeless migrants sleeping rough in London has doubled in a year. Migrants sleep rough in and around Park Lane and set up home in the 7/7 London memorial. Play slideshow Splash News 1 of 46 Two immigrant women smoke and drink in Green Park, London

“There is no reason to hide anything because we need the public to understand there is a massive problem so they support the measures we are taking to bring it under control.” The Daily Express is also waiting for replies to two other requests. One was due on October 26 and the other on November 15. The ICO is to start formal action compelling the Home Office to respond to our requests within 35 days.

GETTY If the Home Office fails to respond to the request, legal action could be triggered