Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has defended paying foreign criminals up to £2,000 to leave Britain, admitting the scheme “doesn’t look good” but insisting it saves taxpayers money compared to keeping offenders in overcrowded British prisons.
Speaking in her first in-depth interview since taking the role earlier this month, Mahmood acknowledged the controversial optics of handing bank cards pre-loaded with cash to convicted criminals, after ITV News filmed nearly 50 foreign national offenders being deported to Romania.
“Out of context, it’s not great, it doesn’t look good,” the Home Secretary admitted when shown footage of migrants receiving the payments during a deportation flight. However, she argued that “a voluntary removal is actually cheaper for the British taxpayer” than lengthy prison sentences.
The Facilitated Return Scheme, which offers financial incentives to foreign offenders who agree to leave voluntarily, could save an estimated £54,000 per prisoner annually – the average cost of a prison place in England and Wales. With nearly 11,000 foreign offenders currently incarcerated, representing more than one in eight of all prisoners, the scheme aims to address both the prison overcrowding crisis and spiralling costs to taxpayers of nearly £600 million yearly.
Mahmood explained that the practice has longstanding precedent: “It has long been the case that we do offer financial packages as an incentive to people to drop their claims and drop the attempts they make to stay in our country, and to board a flight and leave.”
The revelations come as the government implements sweeping changes to deportation rules, with new legislation introduced in August allowing foreign criminals to be deported immediately upon sentencing, rather than serving time in British jails. Previously, offenders had to serve at least 50 percent of their sentence before deportation, a threshold recently reduced to 30 percent.
The exclusive ITV News footage showed the complex logistics of deportation operations, with nearly 100 staff required to remove 47 individuals. For every two foreign national offenders, three escorts were needed, whilst more disruptive prisoners required up to six staff members and individual transport. The convoy travelled through the night to minimise disruption from potential protests.
Upon landing in Romania, the deported criminals walked free, greeted by Romanian authorities but not detained. “I’m very happy,” one told reporters. “I’ll stay here and never come back to London. I was in an immigration centre for four months.” Those deported are permanently banned from returning to the UK.
The Home Secretary’s defence of the scheme comes as she faces pressure to demonstrate progress on the government’s “one-in, one-out” deportation policy, which has seen just four asylum seekers removed since its July launch. The scheme allows people arriving by small boat to be detained and returned to France in exchange for Britain accepting an equivalent number through safe and legal routes.
Mahmood vowed to “ramp up” deportations dramatically, stating: “You start with a small first step and then you ramp up, which is exactly what we’re going to be doing. I want us to get to a point where the numbers that are being removed are acting as a deterrent and stop people getting on the boats in the first place.”
The timing of the revelations is particularly significant following yesterday’s sentencing of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker who received 12 months in jail for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman. The case, which sparked nationwide anti-migrant protests, has intensified debate over foreign offender deportations.
Kebatu, 38, who arrived in the UK by small boat just days before committing the offences, was found guilty of five charges including sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. The Home Office confirmed it will seek his deportation following his sentence, with the government conducting regular returns to Ethiopia.
District Judge Christopher Williams told Kebatu during sentencing: “You couldn’t have anticipated that your offending behaviour as an asylum seeker housed at the Bell Hotel would cause such a response from the public, particularly in Epping, but also across the UK, resulting in mass demonstrations and fear that children in the UK are not safe.
Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months. However, immigration lawyers have warned that human rights legislation could complicate deportation proceedings, particularly if offenders claim asylum or argue they would face persecution in their home countries.
Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the government’s approach, arguing: “In Starmer’s topsy-turvy world, investors are fleeing the country in their droves while record numbers of violent and sexual offenders from abroad are put up in our prisons. It’s a farce.”
Jenrick demanded tougher action: “The safety of the British public is infinitely more important than the ‘rights’ of sick foreign criminals. If countries won’t take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn’t working.”
The Home Secretary revealed that deportations have increased by 14 percent since July 2024, with almost 5,200 foreign national offenders removed – part of what she described as the government’s Plan for Change to restore control to borders and make streets safer.
The government has also committed to building 14,000 more prison places by 2031, addressing the capacity crisis that has left UK prisons operating at near-record levels. Foreign nationals currently occupy more than 10,000 places across the severely overcrowded estate.
Mahmood’s defence of the payment scheme represents a pragmatic if politically uncomfortable acknowledgement of the challenges facing Britain’s criminal justice system. With prison places at a premium and deportation processes frequently delayed by legal challenges, financial incentives have become a key tool in managing foreign offender numbers.
The Home Secretary expressed particular concern about the rise of far-right activism, noting that a Tommy Robinson rally in London last month attracted an estimated 150,000 people. I’m very worried about some of the rhetoric,” she told ITV News, linking the need for effective deportation policies to concerns about extremist exploitation of immigration issues.
Right up until boarding, foreign offenders regularly challenge their removal through the courts, often citing human rights legislation. The deportation flights operate under strict security protocols, with convoys travelling at night to avoid protests and disruption.
Critics have pointed to Mahmood’s past positions on deportation, noting that in 2020 she co-signed a letter opposing a deportation flight to Jamaica that included convicted criminals. The letter, also signed by then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, raised concerns about deporting individuals who may have arrived as children or lacked proper legal representation.
As the government pursues its ambitious deportation targets, the revelation of cash payments to departing criminals highlights the complex moral and practical calculations involved in managing foreign offenders. While the financial logic may be sound – saving tens of thousands per prisoner – the optics remain challenging for a government seeking to demonstrate toughness on both crime and immigration.
Mahmood insisted the approach represents value for taxpayers whilst ensuring public safety: “A voluntary removal is actually cheaper for the British taxpayer.” She pledged to continue expanding the programme, promising to “say more about that in the weeks to come” regarding plans to increase deportation numbers.
The debate over foreign offender deportations continues to divide opinion, with advocates arguing it reduces prison costs and protects public safety, whilst critics warn of potential human rights violations and the risk of creating a two-tier justice system.
As Britain grapples with record prison populations and ongoing concerns about immigration, the government’s willingness to pay criminals to leave voluntarily represents a controversial but potentially cost-effective solution to an increasingly pressing problem.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image Credit:
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood arrives at the Home Office — photo by Jonathan Chen / UK Home Office, CC BY 4.0.
