The UK government has announced a major escalation in its immigration crackdown, with plans to deport foreign criminals as soon as they receive a custodial sentence to free up prison space. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed offenders would be sent “packing” immediately under a proposed law change, which could save taxpayers an average of £54,000 per prison place each year.
The new policy would apply to prisoners serving fixed-term “determinate” sentences, while authorities would retain the right to keep offenders in UK custody in cases involving national security or planned further crimes.
Immediate deportation to replace halfway release rule
Currently, foreign national offenders can face deportation once they have served 50% of their sentence, with a change due in September lowering this to 30%. The government now wants Parliament’s approval to cut that threshold to 0%, meaning deportation could happen immediately after sentencing.
Since July 2024, almost 5,200 foreign national offenders have been deported — a 14% increase compared to the previous year. Foreign nationals currently make up around 12% of the UK’s prison population.
Opposition criticism and political tension
Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of being soft on crime, saying broken human rights laws still prevent deportations. He called for suspending visas and foreign aid to countries that refuse to take back their nationals.
The move comes as UK prisons approach capacity, with 88,007 inmates — just 514 short of last year’s record high. The government has pledged to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031 and to ease pressure by adopting reforms that reduce time spent in custody for certain offenders.
Crackdown on illegal migration intensifies
The deportation policy is part of Labour’s wider strategy to reduce illegal immigration, including tackling the surge in small boat crossings across the English Channel. This year, migrant arrivals have already topped 25,000 — the earliest the milestone has been reached since records began in 2018.
The government has pledged an extra £100 million to support new measures, including a “one in, one out” deal with France. Under the agreement, each migrant returned to France will be matched by a legal asylum transfer from France to the UK. The first small boat migrants have already been detained under the scheme and could be sent back within weeks.
