Ann Widdecombe explains reason Britain can't deport foreign criminals - 'We are housing other people's nationals!'
Former Prison Minster explains reason Britain can't deport foreign criminals
GB News
Former Prisons Minster Ann Widdecombe has given her insight into why Britain can't "just deport" foreign criminals.
Britain is releasing over 1,200 prisoners early from jails across England and Wales today, marking the second wave of a controversial scheme aimed at easing overcrowding.
The initiative, which allows eligible inmates to serve 40 per cent rather than 50 per cent of their sentences, has expanded to include those serving five years or more.
Speaking on GB News, Dawn Neesom asked: "Many viewers today are saying we have between 10 to 14,000 foreign prisoners in our jails.
Ann Widdecombe revealed that Britain can't deport people from prison
GB News
"Why don't we simply deport them back to their country of origin, free up those gaol spaces, problem solved?"
Widdecombe responded: "There are various reasons for that. I mean I like the idea in theory.
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"In practise, some countries won't recognise them as their nationals.In others, those countries will not imprison them.
"So you would be effectively releasing them. In others, their justice system is so completely different that the prisoners would either serve only a fraction of what we've sentenced them too or far longer.
"So there are all sorts of issues involved. But I agree, it's a very good point that we are actually housing other people's nationals."
This move comes as the prison population nears capacity, with only 1,671 vacant places remaining as of the latest count.
Around 1,700 prisoners were released early in SeptemberPA
The Government hopes to create up to 5,500 extra prison spaces through this early release programme.
Widdecombe told GB News that this is the fault of the previous Conservative Government, which ignored the issue.
She explained: "When I was prisons minister, I made sure we had sufficient prison officers and that is the duty of any prisons minister.
"It's quite true. This is, this is not simply the fault of the Labour Government. I mean, I don't think they're responding in the right way, but it's not their fault.
Associates of prisoners were waiting to celebrate their release outside the south London jail in September
GB NEWS"This is the fault of years and years of neglect of the situation by a Conservative Government, I'm afraid to say."
The early release scheme, known as SDS40, excludes those convicted of murder, sex crimes, or terrorism.
Justice Minister Lord Timpson stated authorities are "as ready as we can be" for today's releases.
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