"Immediate deportation promised for foreign offenders upon sentencing: Government declaration"
In a significant move, the proposed law change by Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, aims to introduce immediate deportation of foreign criminals upon sentencing in the UK for the first time. This reform, which primarily applies to offenders serving fixed-term (determinate) sentences, excludes terrorists, murderers, and those serving life sentences.
The proposed change is designed to speed up the removal of foreign criminals, thereby enhancing public safety and controlling borders more effectively. With immediate deportation, criminals convicted of serious crimes like rape, drug dealing, and burglary will be sent back without delay.
Financially, this change could provide significant savings. Foreign national offenders currently make up about 12% of the UK prison population and cost taxpayers approximately £54,000 per prisoner annually. By deporting them immediately after sentencing, the government expects to reduce the time these prisoners spend incarcerated, thus saving taxpayer money.
The law, if passed, could potentially reduce prison costs associated with foreign national offenders by cutting down their time in custody. Since July 2024, nearly 5,200 foreign criminals have been deported—a 14% increase compared to the previous year—reflecting the government's current investment in specialist staff to speed removals in about 80 prisons.
It's important to note that the government's proposal to bring down the deportation point to 0% has not been explicitly stated as being greenlighted by parliament. The authorities would retain the power to keep a criminal in custody instead of deporting them, if the offender is planning further crimes against the UK's interests or national security.
The Conservative government has reportedly relied on prison transfer agreements with other countries to deport foreign national offenders. Ms Mahmood has stated that if foreign nationals abuse UK hospitality and break laws, they will be deported. However, a Labour source mentioned that the previous Conservative government made deals allowing inmates to serve their custodial sentence in their "home" country.
In conclusion, the law proposed by Mahmood introduces immediate post-sentencing deportation powers to expedite deportations, improve border security, protect public safety, and potentially reduce prison costs associated with foreign national offenders. The specific numbers regarding average savings per year per prison place due to the proposed law change are yet to be disclosed.
The immediate deportation policy-and-legislation, as proposed by Shabana Mahmood, aims to not only enhance public safety but also control general-news like border security effectively. This new policy, targeting foreign criminals convicted of crimes ranging from rape and drug dealing to burglary, is expected to significantly decrease crime-and-justice issues in the UK.
