New reforms to deportation and removal rules will make it easier
to remove foreign criminals committing crimes in the UK, the Home
Office will announce tomorrow.
Currently the Home Office is only informed of foreign nationals
given prison sentences and deportation arrangements focus
predominantly on those sentenced to more than a year in prison.
Under the new arrangements, the Home Office will be informed of
all foreign nationals convicted of offences – not just those who
receive prison sentences - and will be able to use wider removal
powers on other crimes including swifter action to remove people
who have recently arrived in the country but have already
committed crimes.
The overhaul will make it easier to remove those who commit
offences – including violence against women and girls, street and
knife crimes – before the threat they pose escalates.
The reforms will be announced tomorrow as part of the
government's Immigration White Paper, which will radically reform
Britain's failed immigration system.
The Home Office will consider all offences, not just those that
carry a 12-month custodial sentence, and strengthen powers to
remove perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
Any foreign national placed on the Sex Offenders Register –
regardless of sentence length – will be classed as having
committed a ‘serious crime' with no right to asylum protections
in the UK.
Since July 2024, the Home Office has removed 3,594 foreign
criminals from the UK – a 16% increase on the same period 12
months prior.
Home Secretary said:
It is a basic requirement - those who come to the UK should abide
by our laws. The system for returning foreign criminals has been
far too weak for too long. Already we have increased the number
of foreign national offenders being removed since the election.
But we need much higher standards. The rules need to be respected
and enforced.
We need to restore control so that net migration comes down and
proper standards and order are returned.
As part of the White Paper, the government will also update
refusal policies and immigration rules to mirror these changes.
This means if a person commits an offence while on a short-term
visa, they will be refused if they make a fresh
application.
New measures will be explored to swiftly cancel visas to those
who commit crimes, ensuring action is taken against offenders
before they can put down roots in the UK.
Notes to editors
- As part of the Government's Plan for Change to have Safer
Streets and Secure Borders, and efforts to digitise information
flows, the Government will be working with partners across the
criminal justice system to ensure data on convictions of migrants
in the UK is shared swiftly so the necessary action can be taken.
