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Thousands of foreign criminals allowed to stay in Britain JAMES SLACK Immigration bosses have 'no interest' in deporting thousands of foreign criminals serving short jail terms, internal Government papers have revealed. The instruction to officials not to bother with any overseas convict sentenced to less than a year behind bars marks the end of a commitment made by Gordon Brown earlier this year. In July, the Prime Minister declared: "I want a message to go out. If you come here you work and you learn our language. If you commit a crime you will be deported." But - as a result of the new Prison Service instruction - at least 4,000 foreign criminals convicted every year of offences such as theft, burglary, benefit fraud and drug dealing will be released back on to the streets at the end of their sentence.
Foreigners will also be allowed to be kept in open jails, despite the risk of absconding. The revelations are contained in a Prison Service instruction to staff on how to make the best use of space in the network of open prisons, which have little or no security. Foreign prisoners were barred from these jails last year by then home secretary John Reid after a spate of escapes. But the instructions say this need no longer be the case if inmates are not facing deportation proceedings. Giving examples, it states: "The Criminal Casework Directorate of the Border and Immigration Agency have confirmed to us that as a rule they have no interest in pursuing foreign national prisoners serving sentences of less than 12 months for deportation." The exceptions are if the criminal was recommended for deportation by the courts, or if they have a string of convictions within the last five years.
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