The Labour Government has been told to "go back to the drawing board" over plans for foreign prisoners to be deported after serving just a fraction of their sentences.
In an effort to save the taxpayer millions of pounds, the Government is allegedly bringing forward legislation that will allow overseas offenders to be removed after serving 30 per cent of their sentence, down from the current 50 per cent.
Speaking to GB News, human rights lawyer David Haigh said the plans are "fraught with problems", and may act as an incentive for foreign criminals rather than a deterrent.
Haigh explained: "If we have foreign criminals and they're convicted, then yes, they should be deported, absolutely. But should we make it so that they're only serving 30 per cent? What message is that sending to criminals around the world?
Human Rights Lawyer David Haigh has torn into Labour's latest plan for foreign criminals
GB News / PA
"If you ask me, it's sending a message to criminals around the world. Come and base yourself in Britain, you'll only do 10 to 30 per cent of a sentence, and even if you get deported, you can get back in on a boat."
In further criticism of the plan, Haigh stated: "That's the message I see to some of the very despicable people around the world that would exploit that.
"So absolutely, let's deport the criminals and get that done quickly once their sentence is finished, but should we be giving them a get out of jail free card? I'm not quite sure."
Highlighting the "problems" with the Labour policy and the current system for deporting foreign criminals, Haigh told the People's Channel: "I've seen this many times before, when a prisoner is about to be deported, the Home Office either deliberately releases them or accidentally releases them pending deportation, expecting them to turn up to be deported.
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Labour's latest plan would mean foreign prisoners are deported after serving just a fraction of their jail sentences
PA"Of course, many don't do that. So you're going to have people serving less of their sentence being allowed into the community, not turning up for deportation. So I think it's fraught with problems and it's not really been thought through."
Stressing the potential impact this would have on the victims of foreign offenders, Haigh claimed that criminals being released early in any capacity is "not the purpose of prison".
Haigh said: "When you look at the victims of crime in this country, if they see someone that's done terrible things to them effectively getting off scot free and can come back here quite easily, that isn't the purpose of prison."
Warning of deportation cases possibly "getting stuck in the courts", Haigh cautioned that some criminals who are released earlier could be "allowed to stay" in Britain regardless.
Haigh told GB News that Labour must 'go back to the drawing board' on the plans
GB News
Haigh concluded: "This will get stuck in the court. So when we go through this process, they've already served, let's say, 30 per cent of their sentence. And if the foreign criminal then tries to stop being deported, you could end up with people serving only 30 per cent and being allowed to stay.
"And that is again, not the purpose of prison. So I think the Labour Party on this needs to go back to the back to the drawing board, because I don't think this is going to achieve what they're aiming, to reduce the numbers in prison.
"The easy answer is to let people go, but that's not the purpose of prison."
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