Foreign nationals convicted of crimes in the UK will be deported before they can appeal their removal, under new immigration rules outlined by ministers, according to The Times UK.
The measures, part of a “deport now, appeal later” initiative, will apply to offenders from 23 countries — including India, Kenya and Uganda — following fresh diplomatic agreements. Convicted individuals will no longer be allowed to remain in the UK during their appeals process; instead, they will participate in hearings remotely via video link from their home countries.
Ministers say the policy will stop criminals from “gaming the system” by lodging lengthy human rights appeals to delay deportation. Under the previous system, appeals could take months, allowing offenders to remain in Britain throughout.
The move follows a separate Ministry of Justice announcement allowing foreign prisoners to be deported as soon as they are jailed, rather than after serving half their sentence. From next month, the threshold will drop to 30% of a sentence served. Those convicted of murder, terrorism, or serving life terms will be excluded.
Officials estimate 3,000 offenders could be removed earlier under the new measures, though ministers privately admit some may avoid serving their sentences entirely if their home nations do not enforce UK court judgments.
Former justice secretary Alex Chalk KC criticised the plan, warning it could see rapists, domestic abusers, and other serious offenders “released with no punishment at all” and sent home at taxpayers’ expense. “If you have been the victim of an appalling rape … and within two weeks [the offender] is in Tirana drinking a cocktail paid by the British taxpayer … that is what concerns me,” Chalk told The Times UK.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the reforms, saying: “For far too long, foreign criminals have been exploiting our immigration system, remaining in the UK for months or even years while their appeals drag on. That has to end.”
As of June, there were 10,772 foreign criminals and suspects in UK prisons — around 12% of the prison population — including 1,731 jailed for sexual offences and 3,250 for violent crimes, the highest number since records began.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the government was “leading diplomatic efforts to increase the number of countries where foreign criminals can be swiftly returned” while ensuring appeals can be heard “safely from their home country.”
