David Davis criticises Home Office’s interpretation
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The rates of dangerous foreign criminals being deported has fallen to a record low at the same time as the number of such criminals being released from prison reaches a new high, reports state. According to the Home Office, the amount of Category A highest-harm foreign criminals and immigration offenders deported in the last year dropped 18 percent to 885.
Category A offences includes crimes such as murder, rape, sex offences and drug dealing.
The Home Office first began compiling records of the figures in 2013, when the number stood at 2,205 before reaching its peak of 2,555 in 2016.
Official records have also revealed that a record high of almost 12,000 foreign criminals were released this year, with 11,769 foreign national offenders who had been released but not deported at the end of September.
This marks a rise of more than 800 in a year, with the number being less than 4,000 ten years ago.
All are subject to deportation because they were given prison sentences of at least 12 months, however, they have argued their case successfully for a right to life in Britain in court.
The Government has made some attempts to deport foreign criminals through removal flights, however, just seven out of 112 were onboard a flight to Jamaica earlier this year.
Some legal challenges have been mounted by human rights groups, which the Home Office has dismissed as "meritless".
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The first removals flight to Rwanda for migrants arriving in the UK via "irregular" routes was grounded this month after last-minute claims came through, including human rights claims to a family life.
In June the first deportation flight to Rwanda was scheduled to take off, yet was grounded on the runway after the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) intervened.
Britain has also struggled to negotiate returns agreements with countries following Brexit, although it has signed deals with states including India, Pakistan, Serbia and Albania.
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Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is proposing to use his British Bill of Rights to fight back against such challenges under Article Eight of the ECHR.
This Article demonstrates the right to a family or private life and is used successfully in about seven out of 10 claims against deportation.
The new Bill will give ministers the power to curb the circumstances in which offenders’ right to a family life would outweigh public safety concerns.
A criminal would have to prove a child or dependant would come to "overwhelming, unavoidable harm" if they were deported.
Express.co.uk has reached out to the Home Office for comment.
