UK Proposes Immediate Deportation Of Foreign Criminals After Sentencing
United Kingdom Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled a proposal to deport foreign criminals immediately after sentencing, eliminating any requirement to serve part of their jail term in the UK.
The plan, subject to parliamentary approval, would reduce the current deportation threshold from the 50% sentence completion under existing rules to 0%.
It would go further than the changes due in September, which will allow deportations after offenders have served 30% of their sentence.
The measure would apply to fixed-term “determinate” sentences, though authorities would retain discretion to keep certain offenders in custody, particularly those deemed a threat to national security or the country’s interests.
Mahmood said, “Our message is clear – if you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing. Deportations are up under this government, and with this new law they will happen earlier than ever before.”
Government figures show almost 5,200 foreign offenders have been deported since July 2024, a 14% increase on the previous year.
Foreign nationals currently make up about 12% of the UK prison population.
Under previous Conservative governments, deportations relied heavily on prison transfer agreements with other nations, resulting in 945 prisoners being sent abroad between 2010 and 2023.
However, Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the proposal, saying, “In Starmer’s topsy-turvy world, investors are fleeing the country while record numbers of violent and sexual offenders from abroad are put up in our prisons. It’s a farce.
“Yet again Starmer has refused to confront our broken human rights laws. He needs to grow a backbone and change them so we can actually deport these individuals. The safety of the British public is infinitely more important than the ‘rights’ of sick foreign criminals.
“If countries won’t take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn’t working.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
