Foreign criminals to face early deportation as prison crisis grows

FOREIGN criminals should be deported immediately to free up prison cells, Labour's sentencing tsar declared yesterday.

- By Michael Knowles Home Affairs Editor

Former Tory Justice Secretary David Gauke said burglars, drug dealers and thugs jailed for under three years will be removed as soon as operationally possible.

And the early removal scheme will be extended.

Foreign criminals can currently be deported after serving half of their sentence. But this will be shortened to 30%, it has emerged.

It comes as figures, published by the Ministry of Justice yesterday, revealed the prison population is continuing to soar and is rising to near-record levels.

Offences

Mr Gauke, who will publish his review into sentencing this week, said: "There is no place in our society for criminals who come to this country and break our laws.

"But it is clear the current system for deporting foreign criminals is not working and the taxpayer is footing the bill.