Foreign criminals to face deportation after sentencing under new plans
After receiving a custodial sentence, foreign criminals will be deported immediately, according to new justice secretary's announcement. Many who are not given fixed-term sentences could be arrested straight away and barred from returning to the United Kingdom under the plans for England and Wales. According to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the decision over whether they continue to serve their sentences in a foreign country will be up to the country they are sent to. This means that certain criminals will be allowed to walk free on arrival in their destination country. According to the government, foreign offenders account for around 12% of the jail population, with jail places costing £54,000 a year on average.
According to the government, the new powers will save money for British taxpayers and protect the environment. According to it, those serving life terms, such as terrorists and murderers, would complete their prison term in the UK before being eligible for removal. The MoJ announced that if a judge makes the decision over whether someone will be deported to a jail governor will fall to whichever governor. If, for example, they were planning more offences against the UK's interests or were perceived as a threat to national security, authorities would maintain the ability to keep criminals in jail. According to the BBC, the MoJ's definition of a foreign national is based on the conditions set out in the Nationality, Immigration, and Asylum Act. If passed, the new powers could be extended to those already detained, ensuring that deportations can be started immediately. Around 10,400 international nationals were in the jail system as of January 2024. If foreign criminals abuse our hospitality and break our rules,
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said, they will be sent packing.
This government is taking unprecedented steps to deport foreign criminals as part of our Plan for Change. Deportations are up under this administration, and with this new bill, they will happen sooner and faster than ever before,
Starmer should suspend visas and international assistance if countries don't take back their nationals. His soft-touch approach isn't working," he said. The news comes after a change in the legislation in June that was set to go into operation in September, ensuring that prisoners will face deportation 30% into their prison term rather than the existing 50%. To bring this down even lower to 0%, the government will now need Parliament to approve its plan to bring it lower to zero.she said. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice minister, criticized the proposals, advising that some countries will refuse to admit those who have been deported.
