UK to deport foreigners soon after conviction as Starmer takes hardline stance on immigration

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government announced plans to deport convicted foreign nationals from England and Wales immediately after sentencing. The move comes as the Starmer administration seeks to present a tough stance on border security.

It is pertinent to note that the move is based on legislation introduced in June, which, from September, allows the government to deport a prisoner once they have served 30 per cent of their sentence, down from 50 per cent that is in place. However, the threshold will not be removed entirely, the Home Office said in a statement on Sunday.

With the threshold now removed entirely, the move would enable the authorities to start the deportation process of the convict as soon as the sentencing is concluded. Supporting the legislation, labour ministers argued that the move would also reduce prison overcrowding, cut costs and prevent reoffending in the UK.

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Starmer projects a hardline on immigration

It is important to note that the policy will be presented in the parliament in due course. The proposed law is expected to be applied to both the current inmates and those who will be sentenced in the future, the British Home Office said in a statment.

In recent months, Starmer has sought to project a hardline stance on immigration, especially regarding crimes committed by foreigners. Many believe that Starmer is getting more inclined towards dealing with the issue as he seeks to fend off the electoral threat posed by Nigel Farage’s populist party, Reform UK .

Meanwhile, Farage has already pledged to deport more than 10,000 foreign criminals if his party comes to power, as well as hugely expand the UK’s prison capacity by building new facilities and renting jail space overseas from countries such as El Salvador.

Some exceptions

The measures announced would not apply to offenders who are serving life sentences, including those convicted of murder or terrorism-related offences. Hence, individuals who are deemed to pose a threat to national security or British interests would continue to remain in the UK.

Foreign nationals account for about 12 per cent of the prison population in England and Wales. Interestingly, Albanians represent the largest foreign nationality group in British prisons. The average annual cost of a prison place is £54,000, according to official figures.

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According to UK government data, 5,200 foreign national offenders were deported since July 2024, a 14 per cent rise on the previous 12 months. Apart from this, the UK Ministry of Justice has also spent £ 5 million deploying specialist staff to almost 80 prisons in a bid to accelerate deportations.

The UK struggles with a major prison overcrowding crisis, with prisons across Britain at about 97.5 per cent capacity. The Labour government has sought to tackle the crisis by releasing some prisoners early if they have committed less serious offences. However, the move has been criticised by the politicians on the right.