UK Adds India to Expanded 'Deport First Appeal Later’ List for Foreign Offenders

Los Angeles/Aug 11, 2025
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

The UK government has unveiled new measures strengthening its ability to remove foreign nationals convicted of crimes. Under the changes, more offenders will be deported before their appeals are heard—and in some cases, they could be sent home immediately after sentencing.

The ‘Deport Now, Appeal Later’ policy will expand from covering 8 countries to 23. Under the revised rules, nationals from these countries who have had human rights claims rejected will be removed from the UK before their appeals take place. They will still be able to participate in hearings remotely via video link.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the move, saying foreign criminals had been exploiting the UK immigration system to delay deportation for months or years.

“That has to end,” she said. “Those who commit crimes in our country cannot be allowed to manipulate the system. We are restoring control and sending a clear message that our laws must be respected and enforced.”

The 15 new countries joining the list are Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda, and Zambia. They join the existing 8 countries—Albania, Belize, Estonia, Finland, Kosovo, Mauritius, Nigeria, and Tanzania—which were reinstated under the policy in 2023.

According to the Home Office, the change will prevent offenders from these countries from remaining in the UK for extended periods while their appeals progress.

A Case Highlighting the Issue
In a recent high-profile example, the Court of Appeal dismissed a Zambian national’s challenge to a deportation order that had been pursued for over 25 years. Lord Justice Bean noted that the man had faced five separate deportation orders since 1998, but repeated appeals and reviews had allowed him to stay in the UK throughout.

Plans for Immediate Deportation
Separately, the Ministry of Justice has announced proposals to allow certain foreign offenders to be deported immediately after sentencing. This would apply to those serving fixed-term sentences, but exclude life sentences and cases involving national security.
Currently, prisoners can be deported after serving 50% of their sentence, a threshold set to drop to 30% under a forthcoming order. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has proposed reducing it further to 0%, enabling deportation right after conviction. This would require new legislation, which ministers plan to bring before Parliament.

Permanent Ban and Criticism
According to The Times, deported offenders will be permanently barred from returning to the UK—though the government’s press release did not confirm this detail. Critics have warned that the change could result in criminals avoiding prison altogether if returned home.
Former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk KC raised strong concerns, suggesting it could make the UK a “magnet” for foreign offenders.

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