Watch as Alex Armstrong clashes with human rights lawyer Shoaib Khan over the Government’s plan to immediately deport foreign criminals.
Khan said foreign criminals are being “vilified” in a desperate attempt to spin positive press.
He argued: “In this country, we lock up far too many people for far too long. Even if someone gets sentenced for two days, they will be deported. That’s ridiculous.
“Does even Reform want that? Does anyone sensible in the country want that? We all talk about foreign criminals and people coming over on small boats but the Windrush scandal taught us there are literally thousands of people who have been here decades…”
Armstrong was exasperated by Khan's argument
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Alex Armstrong interjected to hit back: “If you went to any other country around the world and you commit a crime and you aren’t a citizen, the people say ‘you’re not our problem, we shouldn’t have to worry about yo, we’ll just send you home’.
“Surely that’s a reasonable position?”
Khan said this is not the case around the world and foreign criminals should be spending time in jail in Britain at the taxpayers’ expense.
“Why should taxpayers pay for them to serve time in this country? This is completely ludicrous”, Armstrong hit back.
Khan says the ploy is a bid from Labour to spin some positive PR
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“Some of them will be taxpayers but it doesn’t really matter, does it? They won’t be taxpayers when they go to prison.
“The people who are taxpayers will have to foot the bill for them. I can’t imagine going to a foreign country, committing a crime and then expecting the people of that country to pay for my time in jail.”
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Khan pointed to rowdy Britons abroad committing crimes while on holiday, to which Alex said: “I condemn them.
“They’re deported back to the UK, usually. Deport them back here. I don’t care.
“If you’re not a citizen of that country and you commit a crime there, you go home.”
The Government has unveiled sweeping changes to its deportation policy, enabling the immediate removal of foreign nationals upon criminal conviction.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the "radical action" aimed at alleviating pressure on overcrowded prisons whilst reducing costs to taxpayers.
The new legislation eliminates the current requirement for offenders to serve any portion of their sentence before deportation.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood | PAPreviously, foreign nationals could be removed after completing half their sentence, a threshold recently lowered to 30 percent.
"Our message is clear: if you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing," Mahmood stated, emphasising the government's zero-tolerance approach.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has simultaneously announced an expansion of the video link appeals programme, adding multiple nations to the existing scheme.
The initiative permits expelled foreign nationals to participate in immigration appeals remotely from their home countries.
Foreign criminals are set to be deported | GETTYCooper stated that offenders previously remained in Britain "for months or even years" whilst navigating the appeals process.
"That has to end. Those who commit crimes in our country cannot be allowed to manipulate the system, which is why we are restoring control and sending a clear message that our laws must be respected and will be enforced," she declared.
The expanded programme aims to accelerate removals whilst preventing foreign criminals from "exploiting our immigration system."
Foreign nationals currently represent approximately 12 percent of inmates in England and Wales, with each prison place costing taxpayers £54,000 annually.
The measures will affect all incarcerated foreign offenders and those awaiting sentencing, though implementation will occur individually based on specific circumstances.
Certain prisoners will remain detained, including those deemed likely to commit offences against British interests if released.
Individuals serving life sentences must complete their full term before removal proceedings commence.
The legislative changes require parliamentary approval, with implementation anticipated next month. Once enacted, the policy permits immediate expulsion following conviction, with deportees permanently banned from re-entering Britain.