UK Prisons Hold 10,487 Foreign Nationals, Costing £629 Million Annually Amid Deportation Efforts

Britain's prisons are holding 10,487 foreign nationals at an annual cost of £629,408,766, according to a GB News exclusive investigation. This figure emerges amid a total prison population of 87,342 across England and Wales. Vanessa Frake, a former prison governor and Reform UK's prisons advisor, stated that the cost to the country for these foreign national prisoners is staggering.

Frake explained that a key problem with foreign national prisoners is the lack of identity documents. She said these individuals quite often get rid of their passports, forcing the Home Office to contact their country of origin, a process that is very slow. Sometimes, the country refuses to cooperate, Frake added, noting additional complications from ECHR claims.

The Labour Government has tried to find a solution to the issue of foreign national prisoners, according to Frake. She pointed to the UK's deal with Albania as an example, but described the process under that agreement as incredibly slow and not sped up despite government efforts. Albania is the country from which the UK has the most foreign national prisoners, Frake stated.

Frake detailed the daily costs, saying it expenses £109 a day in the UK to keep a foreign national in prison. In contrast, the UK pays £32 a day to Albania to hold their criminals in UK prisons, she said, emphasizing that this arrangement is still not quick. Frake made clear that the Labour Government cannot simply put foreign criminals on planes without a deal between both countries.

Under changes announced last year, prisoners with no legal right to remain in the UK are set to be deported after serving 30 percent of their sentence. This policy aims to ease pressure on prisons and reduce costs to taxpayers. A Ministry of Justice spokesman stated that more than 8,700 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since July 2024, marking a 32 percent increase on the 19 months prior.

Frake urged the Labour Government to persuade countries to take their criminals back, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the deportation process. The GB News investigation underscores the financial burden, with foreign nationals comprising a significant portion of the prison population. These developments reflect efforts to address overcrowding and expenses in the UK's prison system.