Labour

Tory-led Government failing to remove foreign prisoners from British jails - Khan

Today the EU framework Decision on Prisoner Transfers, negotiated and signed by Labour in 2008 comes into force. This deal means that EU nationals in UK prisons can be deported, without their consent, to serve their sentence in the country of origin.

There are over 11,000 foreign prisoners currently serving their sentence in UK jails – over 1 in 7 of all prisoners. 

The last Labour Government managed to negotiate 50 prisoner transfer agreements with other nations, including one that’s EU wide. So far, this Tory-led Government has failed to negotiate a single transfer agreement and have deported fewer than 60 foreign prisoners since coming to office 18 months ago. 

Given that it costs approximately £45,000 a year for each offender in prison, the cost to the British taxpayer of housing all foreign national prisoners is in the region of £500million.

Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, calling on the Tory-led Government to do more to repatriate foreign prisoners and negotiate new deals, said:

"Number 10 sources reportedly promised David Cameron would "personally intervene" to ensure that foreign criminals are removed from our prisons, but of thousands from all corners of the world, this Government has deported fewer than 60. They need to do much more to reduce the numbers of foreign nationals in our prisons.

"Our prisons are already overstretched but this Tory-led Government is doing nothing to relieve the added strain of over 11,000 foreign prisoners - many of whom could be serving sentences in their own countries.

"The savings to our prison service and to British taxpayers if foreign criminals were repatriated would be huge. People will rightly wonder why, when this Government are making savage cuts to our justice system, they are not doing more to get these savings. 

"Labour managed to negotiate and secure 50 prisoner transfer agreements with other countries, including one that’s EU wide. So far, this Government hasn’t been able to secure any. 

"This Tory-led Government is desperately out of touch with the public in its prison policies. Instead of making savings by removing foreign prisoners they are cutting prison staff and resources to our prison estate."