Criminals from foreign nations to be expelled prior to the opportunity for sentence appeal
UK Cracks Down on Foreign Criminals with Deportation Policy Overhaul
The UK's foreign criminals deportation appeal process has undergone significant changes in 2025, marking a shift towards swifter removals and stricter enforcement. The new policy, dubbed the "Deport Now, Appeal Later" scheme, aims to restore control over the immigration and criminal justice systems, reduce taxpayer burdens, and enhance public safety.
Key countries involved in the expanded scheme now include Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda, and Zambia, in addition to the original eight countries (Albania, Belize, Estonia, Finland, Kosovo, Mauritius, Nigeria, and Tanzania). Discussions are ongoing to include more countries [2][3][4].
Under the new policy, foreign nationals from these countries can now be deported before their appeal is heard, with appeal hearings conducted remotely via video link from their home country. This change aims to prevent appeal delays that allowed offenders to remain in the UK for months or years [2][3][4].
Immediate deportation powers have also been introduced, allowing foreign criminals to be deported directly after sentencing, a historic shift departing from previous requirements that they serve part of their sentence before removal. Certain serious offenders (e.g., terrorists, murderers serving life) must still serve full sentences before deportation consideration [5].
Earlier deportation was already made possible for some prisoners, now increased from eligibility after serving 50% of sentence to 30% [5]. Supreme Court rulings have shaped the appeal framework, emphasizing due process and human rights protections but allowing more robust deportation measures where appeal participation is feasible remotely [1].
These changes are expected to save taxpayers almost £600million and see an expected 3,000 foreign offenders deported earlier. The government projects these reforms will protect the public by swiftly removing dangerous offenders, thereby helping reduce crime risks associated with foreign criminals remaining in the community [5].
Since July 2024, deportations have increased by 14% (about 5,200 deportations), reflecting the intensified enforcement effort [5]. However, concerns have been raised about the new policy, with former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk KC expressing worries that it could result in prisoners being "released with no punishment" and placed under a "tax-payer funded flight home" [6].
The most violent criminals, including those imprisoned for murder or terrorist convictions, or serving a life sentence, are set to be excluded from the hardline proposal [6]. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has criticized the government's plans, arguing that they could fail if jailed crooks try to use human rights laws to dodge deportation [6].
The number of overseas criminals in prison in England and Wales is higher now than at any point since 2013, with the Conservatives claiming that the number of foreign sex offenders in prison has increased by 9.9% in Labour's first year in office [7]. Violent protests have erupted outside asylum seeker hotels across the UK, with anger building over the number of foreign residents allegedly carrying out crimes while living in them [8].
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the new policy aims to end individuals manipulating the system during month or year-long appeals [9]. The government's efforts to control the number of migrant criminals, including rapists, paedophiles, and murderers, entering the UK illegally continue to be a pressing issue [5].
References:
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- The Telegraph
- The Independent
- Government Press Release
- The Times
- The Sun
- The Mirror
- Sky News
Foreign nationals from several countries, such as Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda, and Zambia, can now be deported before their appeal is heard under the new "Deport Now, Appeal Later" scheme in the UK. This change in policy aims to reduce taxpayer burdens, and enhance public safety by swiftly removing foreign offenders, specifically those from the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors. The new policy also includes immediate deportation powers for foreign criminals, allowing them to be deported directly after sentencing, rather than serving part of their sentence before removal.
