Former justice secretaries criticise expansion of policy that they say allows perpetrators to go unpunished
Foreign criminals from 15 more countries face deportation before they have a chance to appeal in an expansion of the UK government’s “deport first, appeal later” scheme.
Ministers are extending the scheme, which applies in England and Wales and was restarted in 2023, to cover 23 countries including India, Bulgaria, Australia and Canada.
The policy, which was introduced by the Conservatives in 2014, removes the right of foreign criminals to appeal against their conviction in the UK unless they show they are at risk of harm if they are deported to their country of origin.
It is already operational in eight countries including Tanzania, Finland, Estonia and Belize.
