MINISTERS are looking to send more foreign lags back to their home nations to serve sentences to ease the prisons crisis.
It comes after a backlash on the early prisoner release scheme — which has led to pausing it.
Ministers are looking to send more foreign lags back to their home nations to serve sentences to ease the prisons crisis Credit: Getty
Justice Secretary Alex Norris has now ordered officials to expand the foreign prisoner transfer scheme as he tries to find more cells Credit: Getty
The Prime Minister is expected to tweak it so rapists do not get released early.
Justice Secretary has now ordered officials to expand the foreign prisoner transfer scheme as he tries to find more cells.
in England and Wales are bursting at the seams.
There are currently 86,267 inmates — with the limit being 88,895.
There are 10,487 foreign lags in jails here, figures show.
A source said: “It’s wrong that foreign national offenders are taking up scarce prison places in Britain and costing the taxpayer when they could serve their sentences back home. The Justice Secretary will stop at nothing to speed up prison transfer agreements.”
The Government signed a deal with Latvia in June to facilitate sending prisoners back there and now want to do deals with other nations.
have the most lags in our prisons, making up nine per cent — ahead of on seven, on six and on four.
We agreed in 2023 to a two-year-deal with Albania to take back around 200 of their most dangerous prisoners.
Foreign Office stats show we gave gave around £4million in aid in the year ending 2025, while India got £24.5million in aid in the year ending April 2026.
Mr Burnham and the Government had to step in with a rethink on the jail crisis after outrage at the controversial early prisoner release — with around 6,000 due to have been released from September 2 under the plans.
There was fury it could include releasing two of the killers of PC , who died in 2019 after being dragged behind a car for a mil after trying to prevent a quad bike theft.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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