Foreign prisoners to face quicker deportation

Pivotal legislation has been introduced to expedite the deportation of foreign prisoners, part of a broader initiative to alleviate the prison capacity crisis while ensuring public safety and reducing expenses for taxpayers. The Ministry of Justice, alongside HM Prison and Probation Service, highlighted that foreign prisoners will now be eligible for deportation earlier in their prison sentences, specifically 30% into their term instead of the previous 50%. With foreign offenders constituting around 12% of the total prison population, the policy aims to free up to 500 prison places annually at a potential savings of £54,000 per place per year.

The government reported a successful removal of 4,436 foreign criminals in the previous year, which supports the ongoing strategy dubbed the Plan for Change focused on enhancing control over the nation's borders. The announcement is part of a significant shift that has already led to a 14% increase in deportations since July of the last year. Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood articulated the urgency of the new measures, stating, “I’m clear we shouldn’t be giving bed and board to foreign criminals with no right to be here.”

The changes to the Early Removal Scheme also propose an extension of the removal window from 18 to 48 months before the end of an offender's custodial term. Additionally, upcoming sentencing reforms could allow many offenders on fixed-term sentences to qualify for deportation after serving just 10% of their sentence, a reduction from the current standards of 20 to 25%.

“We’re getting more of them on planes out of the country much sooner," stated Mahmood, underlining the government's commitment to keeping communities safe. While the scheme applies only to those on determinate sentences, individuals detained for terrorism or related offences remain exempt. Moreover, the scheme features discretionary capacity, allowing refusals of deportation based on evidence suggesting a prisoner may pose a continued threat to society.

This new legislative measure also coincides with plans to increase prison capacity by an additional 14,000 places by 2031. Moreover, £5 million has been allocated for the deployment of specialist staff across nearly 80 correctional facilities, all tasked with accelerating the removal process for eligible foreign offenders.

Currently projected to be implemented in September pending Parliamentary approval, these changes reflect the government's commitment to restoring order and efficiency to the borders while ensuring the British public is safeguarded.