The UK government is widening its “deport first, appeal later” scheme to cover foreign criminals from 23 countries, up from the current eight, in what ministers say is an effort to ease prison overcrowding and address public concerns over crime, The Guardian reported.
The expanded list now includes India, Bulgaria, Australia, Canada, Angola, Botswana, Brunei, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda, and Zambia, among others.
The scheme, first introduced under the Conservatives in 2014 and revived in 2023, allows deportation before an appeal is heard, unless the offender can prove they would face harm in their home country. The policy already applies to nationals from countries such as Tanzania, Finland, Estonia, and Belize.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to deport foreign offenders serving fixed-term sentences immediately after conviction, preventing them from returning to the UK. Offenders serving life terms, such as those convicted of terrorism or murder, would still serve their full sentence in Britain before deportation.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the aim was to stop foreign criminals from “exploiting the immigration system” by staying in the UK for months or years while appeals are ongoing, reported The Guardian.
Two former Conservative justice secretaries, Alex Chalk and Robert Buckland, have warned the changes could undermine justice. Chalk told The Guardian that the move risks making the UK a magnet for offenders, as some deported criminals, including rapists, burglars, and domestic abusers, might avoid serving prison time altogether.
The original scheme was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court in 2007 over concerns that it prevented offenders from giving live evidence in appeals. The government later introduced agreements enabling evidence via video link.
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According to the Ministry of Justice, there is no guarantee that deported offenders will serve prison terms in their home countries.
According to The Guardian, since Labour took office in July 2024, officials say 5,179 convicted foreign nationals have been deported, a rise of 14% from the previous year.
(With inputs from The Guardian)
