UK expands 'Deport Now, Appeal Later' policy to include India, 22 other nations; Details here

The UK government has expanded its controversial "Deport Now, Appeal Later" scheme, now including India alongside 22 other countries. This policy allows the UK to deport foreign criminals immediately after sentencing, without waiting for their appeal cases to be heard in UK courts.

How does the scheme work?

Under this expanded policy, foreign nationals convicted of crimes in the UK are deported to their home countries right after sentencing. If they wish to challenge the decision, they can still appeal remotely, through video hearings from abroad, without needing to remain in the UK during the process.

Why was this change made?

The UK government claims that this shift is designed to prevent foreign criminals from exploiting the legal system to delay their deportation. Previously, many offenders were allowed to remain in the UK for months or even years while their appeals were processed, straining the immigration system and costing taxpayers.

Who is affected?

Initially, the scheme applied to eight countries. It has now expanded to include 23 nations, including India, Australia, Canada, and Kenya. Foreign nationals from these countries who commit crimes in the UK are now subject to this expedited deportation process.

What else is changing?

The UK has also introduced a new rule allowing most foreign prisoners to be deported after serving just 30% of their sentence, reduced from the previous 50%. However, serious offenders, such as terrorists and murderers, will still be required to serve their full prison terms before deportation.

The government's goal?

By fast-tracking deportations, the UK aims to reduce the number of foreign criminals in its prisons, lower costs, and enhance public safety. The government argues that these changes send a clear message: if you break the law in the UK, you will be quickly removed.

Foreign nationals make up approximately 12% of the UK’s prison population. The average annual cost to house one prisoner is around £54,000. The faster deportation process, particularly for Indian nationals, is expected to reduce this financial burden on UK taxpayers.

In a further effort to speed up the deportation process, the UK government has invested £5 million to deploy specialist staff in nearly 80 prisons across England and Wales, impacting Indian nationals held in these facilities.