Foreign criminals removed to Romania

Today the UK Government removed 37 foreign criminals on a charter flight to Romania.

The foreign national offenders had received combined prison sentences of more than 188 years and were convicted of crimes including rape, sexual assault and kidnap.

Individuals returned on today’s flight to Romania include:  

• An individual sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for rape

• An individual sentenced to over five years’ imprisonment for sexual assault

• An individual sentenced to over two years’ imprisonment for kidnapping

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:   

“These criminals are responsible for appalling offences including rape, sexual assault and kidnap, which destroy lives, families and communities. They have violated our laws and our values, leaving their victims living with the scars of their crimes. 

“The British public should be in no doubt of my determination to remove them by all available means to make our streets safer. Our new Nationality and Borders Act will help end the cycle of last-minute claims and appeals that can delay removals. 

“We are continuing to remove foreign criminals and those with no right to be here, as the public rightly expects.”

The removal flight was conducted in co-operation with the Romanian government and forms part of a regular schedule of returns to multiple countries, to remove those with no right to remain in the UK. 

In June 2022, 240 foreign national offenders were removed from the UK on both charter and scheduled flights. These individuals had been convicted of offences including:

• 98 convictions for drugs offences
• 35 convictions for sex offences
• 29 convictions for violent crimes
• 27 convictions for threatening behaviour
• 16 convictions for immigration offences

Since January 2019 the UK has removed 10,741 foreign national offenders (to year ending December 2021) delivering on the government’s promise to tackle illegal immigration and the harm it causes. Since March 2021 there have been92 flights chartered to 13 different countries.  

The Nationality and Borders Act will further deter illegal entry into the UK, breaking the business model of people-smuggling networks and speed up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK. 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:   

• Over the last few weeks, the enforced removal of more foreign criminals from the UK has taken place.
• Individuals removed on charter flights include three individuals removed to Albania who were convicted of crimes including supplying Class A drugs; kidnap; possession/use of an offensive weapon (firearm); and assaulting a Constable.
• Today’s flight to Romania is the 39th operated by the Home Office this year as the Government tackles illegal migration and abuse of the asylum system.  
• By the same point in 2021, the Home Office had operated 40 charter flights. By the same point in 2019 and 2020, the Home Office had operated 13 and 14 flights respectively. Flight numbers in recent years have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Figures for monthly returns totals are sourced from local data. Fuller statistics on monthly returns are released through our quarterly Immigration Statistics and Migration Transparency Data and will be published in due course.
• For more information on charter flights, please visit: Returns and Charter Flight Factsheet (May 2022) - Home Office in the media (blog.gov.uk)