Nearly Half of Foreign Criminals Refuse to Leave UK, Sparking Outrage and Public Safety Concerns

London, UK – Startling new figures have revealed that almost half of foreign national offenders sentenced in the UK are choosing to fight deportation orders, leading to their release back into the community after serving their sentences. Between July 2024 and July of this year, only 2,632 foreign criminals, representing 51% of those eligible, were directly removed from prison under the Early Removal Scheme.

This means a significant proportion – 49% – are opting to contest their removal, often on human rights grounds. As they cannot be detained indefinitely, these individuals are released onto the streets upon completion of their prison terms, while taxpayer-funded legal appeals are processed. The revelation, brought to light by a parliamentary question, has ignited widespread anger and drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick declared it a, "complete scandal", that the government is failing to deport nearly half of foreign criminals under the Early Release Scheme. "Those who come to this country and break our laws must be deported – it’s as simple as that", Jenrick stated. He expressed grave concern, highlighting that, "Given what we know about reoffending rates of those released early, this is a clear danger to the public".

Echoing these sentiments, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson described the situation as a, "national embarrassment", and, "another example of soft-touch Britain". He vowed that under a Reform UK government, "any foreign criminals would be immediately deported after their prison sentence ends. No ifs, no buts".

The Home Office, however, pointed to an increase in early removals. They reported that the number of foreign national offenders voluntarily leaving the UK early was up by 10% compared to the previous 12 months, when 2,385 departed. Furthermore, the total number of foreign offenders returned to their home countries since the Labour government came to power in July 2024 stands at 5,179, a 14% increase from the 4,532 returned in the same period the year before.

A government spokesperson maintained their commitment to deporting foreign national offenders. "We are committed to deporting foreign national offenders and aim to remove them from the UK at the earliest opportunity", they stated. The spokesperson acknowledged that those who challenge early removal, "may be detained for a reasonable period after the end of their custodial sentence while we pursue deportation". They also emphasised that, "Rigorous measures are in place to manage foreign offenders in the community, including electronic monitoring. We remain focused on managing cases through the legal process so we can remove any barriers to their deportation".

Despite these assurances, the figures have intensified the debate surrounding immigration policy, criminal justice, and the effectiveness of deportation procedures in the UK. The prospect of nearly half of foreign criminals being released back into the population while their appeals are heard continues to be a major point of contention.