The UK justice secretary announced new plans for the immediate deportation of foreign criminals after receiving a custodial sentence. This radical action aims to reduce the number of foreign nationals in prisons, who currently make up around 12% of the prison population.

• Foreign offenders on fixed-term sentences could be deported straight away and barred from re-entering the UK, with the decision to serve sentences abroad left to their destination country.
• Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that foreign criminals would be sent "packing" if they "abuse our hospitality and break our laws."
• The government suggests these new powers could save money for British taxpayers, as prison places cost £54,000 a year on average, and there were about 10,400 foreign nationals in the prison system as of January 2024.