THE NUMBER of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales has reached its highest level in more than a decade, according to Ministry of Justice data.
There were 10,722 foreign prisoners at the end of June, making up one in eight of the total prison population. They cost an estimated £580 million annually, The Times reported.
Foreign prisoners now account for 10.6 per cent of all sex offenders in prison, with 1,731 jailed for sexual offences, a figure up nearly 10 per cent in the past year. This growth is nearly three times the increase among British sex offenders.
The rise has been linked to record immigration since 2020 and a high number of foreign nationals held on remand, as courts are less likely to grant bail to those considered at risk of leaving the UK.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick blamed “uncontrolled immigration” and urged emergency measures to deport all foreign prisoners, The Times reported.
Labour said deportations have increased under the current government, which has introduced laws allowing deportation after serving 30 per cent of a sentence.
Foreign prisoners make up 85 per cent of inmates in some London prisons, with Albanians, Poles and Romanians forming a quarter of the foreign prison population.
