The British party Reform UK has proposed freeing up space in prisons in England and Wales by quickly deporting foreign convicts to serve their sentences in countries such as El Salvador and Kosovo. Party leader Nigel Farage is also proposing the creation of additional “Nightingale prisons,” according to The Guardian.
Reform UK states that it plans to deport all approximately 10,000 foreign nationals currently in custody in England and Wales. According to data cited by the publication, of the 10,134 foreign nationals in detention facilities, nearly a third are being held on remand and have not yet been convicted. A party spokesperson confirmed that foreign nationals would only be eligible for the program after a conviction.
Farage cited a report in The Sun stating that, following initial contacts with Salvadoran authorities regarding the leasing of prison space, Reform UK Chair Lee Anderson is set to lead a delegation of officials on a trip to that country later this year. The party also proposes a lifetime ban on returning to the UK for those serving sentences abroad.
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The initiative was announced amid a prisoner early release scheme scheduled for September. Prime Minister Andy Burnham had previously announced its suspension for review and announced stricter rules. The Ministry of Justice stated that without this scheme, prisons could reach capacity, preventing the police from making arrests and the courts from remanding defendants in custody.
A Labor Party spokesperson said the government is working on deporting foreign criminals and creating new prison spaces. He also criticized Reform UK’s plan, stating that the party lacks “serious answers” to the crisis in the prison system.
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