Foreign criminals to face deportation immediately after sentencing under new proposals

The justice secretary has announced the plans

The proposals could see those who have been handed fixed-term sentences be immediately deported and banned from returning to the UK.

The Ministry of Justice said that whether they had to serve their sentence abroad would be up to the country they are sent to. This means, in theory, that some criminals may end up serving no sentence for their crimes.

The government says foreign criminals make up 12 per cent of the prison population, at an average cost of £54,000 per person per year.

Therefore, the government says the new plans will save the UK taxpayer money.

Those who are serving life sentences for crimes such as terrorism or murder will serve their full sentence before being considered for deportation.

The decision as to whether a criminal should be deported will fall to a prison governor after a custodial sentence has been handed down, but authorities will keep the power to keep criminals in certain cases.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "This government is taking radical action to deport foreign criminals, as part of our Plan for Change. Deportations are up under this government, and with this new law they will happen earlier and faster than ever before."

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the plans and claimed that countries may refuse deportees.

"If countries won't take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn't working," Jenrick said.

Prisoners in the UK can currently be deported if they have served 50 per cent of their sentence.

However, this is due to fall to 30 per cent in September when a tweak in the law after the Independent Sentencing Review will come into effect.