Reform UK Vows to Deport 10,000 Foreign Prisoners in Major Crime and Immigration Plan

London, UK — August 10, 2026

Reform UK has announced plans to deport around 10,000 foreign nationals currently serving prison sentences in Britain, as part of a major proposed crackdown on crime, immigration and the UK’s overcrowded prison system.

The policy, championed by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, would see foreign prisoners removed from British jails and either returned to their countries of nationality or, where agreements allow, transferred to a third country to serve their sentences.

One country being discussed by Reform is El Salvador, which has attracted international attention for its large-scale high-security prison system. Reform representatives are expected to explore the possibility of such arrangements.

Prison overcrowding at the centre of the debate

Reform says removing foreign prisoners would immediately create additional capacity in Britain's overcrowded prisons.

The party has also proposed constructing 12,000 additional temporary prison places, using prefabricated facilities similar in concept to the emergency "Nightingale" hospitals built during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Farage has argued that criminals should serve meaningful prison sentences rather than being released early because of pressure on prison capacity.

Reform's wider immigration agenda

The proposal forms part of Reform UK's broader immigration strategy. The party has previously pledged to establish a UK Deportation Command, increase immigration detention capacity and dramatically increase the number of deportations.

Reform has also indicated that it would seek major changes to Britain's human-rights framework, including withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that existing legal protections can make deportations more difficult.

Government already deporting foreign offenders

The debate comes as the government itself is increasing the removal of foreign national offenders.

According to the Home Office, nearly 70,000 people with no right to remain in the UK have been removed since the government took office, including approximately 10,000 foreign national offenders. The government says returns and deportations are now at their highest level in nearly a decade.

Government rules have also been changed to allow many foreign prisoners to become eligible for deportation after serving 30% of their sentence, rather than 50%, while ministers have introduced measures allowing some foreign criminals to face removal immediately after sentencing.

Supporters and critics

Supporters of Reform's proposal argue that foreign criminals who have committed serious offences should not continue occupying scarce prison places in Britain when they could potentially be removed from the country.

Critics, however, are expected to question the legality, cost and practicality of transferring prisoners to foreign prison systems. Human-rights organisations have also raised concerns about conditions in overseas prisons and whether deportation arrangements would comply with Britain's legal obligations.

The proposal is therefore likely to become another major dividing line in Britain's increasingly heated debate over immigration, crime and the prison system.

What happens next?

Reform UK would need to win political power and overcome significant legal, diplomatic and practical obstacles before such a policy could be fully implemented.

For now, the announcement represents one of the party's strongest attempts to link Britain's prison-capacity crisis with its campaign for tougher immigration and deportation policies.

With prison overcrowding, early prisoner release and immigration already dominating political debate, Reform's proposal is likely to generate considerable controversy across Britain in the coming weeks.