India included in UK's 'deport now, appeal later' list of 23 countries; what this means

The UK government has expanded its “Deport Now, Appeal Later” scheme to include India, along with 22 other countries. This policy allows the UK to deport foreign criminals immediately after they are sentenced, without waiting for their appeal cases to be heard in the UK courts.

How does the scheme work?
Under this policy, foreign nationals convicted of crimes in the UK are sent back to their home countries right after sentencing. If they want to challenge the decision, they can appeal remotely from abroad through video hearings. This means they do not have to stay in the UK while waiting for their appeal to be processed.

Why was this change made?
The UK government says the move is to prevent foreign criminals from using the legal system to delay deportation. Many offenders previously stayed in the UK for months or even years during their appeal process, putting pressure on the immigration system and costing taxpayers money.

Who is affected?
The scheme originally covered eight countries but has now grown to include 23 nations, including India, Australia, Canada, Kenya, and several others. Foreign nationals from these countries who commit crimes in the UK are now subject to this faster deportation process.

What else is changing?
The government has also introduced new rules allowing most foreign prisoners to be deported after serving just 30 percent of their sentence, instead of the previous 50 percent. However, serious offenders like terrorists and murderers will still have to complete their full prison terms before deportation.

What is the government’s goal?
By speeding up deportations, the UK aims to reduce the number of foreign criminals in its prisons, cut costs, and improve public safety. Officials say the new rules will send a clear message: if you break the law, you will be removed from the country quickly.

Foreign nationals make up about 12 percent of the UK prison population. The average cost to hold one prisoner is around £54,000 annually. Faster deportations of Indian nationals are expected to reduce this financial burden on the UK taxpayer.

The UK government has invested £5 million to deploy specialist staff in nearly 80 prisons across England and Wales. This investment aims to speed up the deportation and removal process, impacting Indian nationals held in these facilities.