Huge rise in number of foreign criminals deported early under Labour
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As Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced at the Justice
Select Committee today the number of foreign criminals removed from
the country early has rocketed by nearly 75% under the Labour
Government. "This is Labour delivering not only an acceleration but
a step-change in getting dangerous criminals out of our country,"
said the Deputy Prime Minister. More than 2,700 FNOs were
deported under the Early Removal Scheme in the last year, up from
just 1,560 in the...Request free trial
As Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced at the Justice Select Committee today the number of foreign criminals removed from the country early has rocketed by nearly 75% under the Labour Government. "This is Labour delivering not only an acceleration but a step-change in getting dangerous criminals out of our country," said the Deputy Prime Minister. More than 2,700 FNOs were deported under the Early Removal Scheme in the last year, up from just 1,560 in the last full year of the Conservative government, according to fresh Labour analysis of Ministry of Justice statistics. The number of weekly removals under the scheme – which allows prisoners to be removed from the country early – rose to a weekly high of 114 in September, or 16 per day. Earlier this year, Labour brought in new tough rules to ensure foreign criminals could be deported even earlier in their prison sentences, and the total number of FNOs returned has increased by 14% under Labour. The sharp rise contrasts with repeated Tory failure to remove FNOs. Rishi Sunak promised to double the number of foreign criminals, but when the Conservatives left office in July 2024 the number of FNOs removed every year was still below 2010 levels. Tory reliance on Prison Transfer Agreements (PTAs) failed to deliver results. Between 2010 and 2023, just 945 foreign prisoners were returned under PTAs – equivalent to just one over one per week. In the final full year of Tory government, returns under PTAs fell to their lowest level since 2011, with only 33 removals. Jake Richards, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sentencing, Youth Justice and International said: “This Labour government is taking radical action to deport foreign criminals. Deportations are up and our changes are ensuring they happen earlier and faster than before. “We will go further by rebalancing how human rights law is applied at home, and pursuing change internationally, to ensure offenders cannot abuse our laws. “Labour said we would deport more foreign criminals, and we meant it.” Ends Notes to editors
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