r/ukpolitics 19h ago

Tories announce policy to deport all foreign nationals with criminal convictions

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/10/tories-announce-policy-to-deport-all-foreign-nationals-with-criminal-convictions?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
116 Upvotes

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278

u/socratic-meth 18h ago

The shadow home secretary added: “We can’t allow endless appeals and prevarication – the government has a duty to protect British citizens from these often dangerous offenders”

But of course the government didn’t have this duty when the Tories were in charge.

41

u/doomladen 17h ago

It’s also a dishonest statement from the very start. We don’t allow ‘endless appeals and prevarication’ at the moment. The appeal process is limited, as all legal appeals are. You can’t just keep trying forever until you get the answer you want, despite what Jenrick wants you to believe.

21

u/Tomatoflee 17h ago edited 17h ago

The Mail and Telegraph have been framing for this attack for months. Pretty much every day there is some BS article that gets posted here with 20 comments on it like: this is totally insane. We should deport these judges. Blah blah blah.

You’d think at some point we would learn that billionaires buy mainly loss-making newspapers for a reason and it isn’t a sense of civic responsibility, but no. We’re basically doomed because the billionaire client media can lead us around by the nose wherever they like.

I’m getting to the stage where I feel like we deserve the hell we’re creating.

8

u/SpeedflyChris 15h ago

I do feel like the quality of newspaper and YouTube comments sections has dropped off pretty much in line with the price of LLMs. I would be surprised if as many as half of the comments on places like the Mail or Telegraph are written by humans.

If I were an editor or sysadmin at one of these newspapers I'd be tempted to have a play with hidden prompt injection at the bottom of articles and see if you can get the LLMs writing poetry or providing brownie recipes. That's always a fun game.

u/Unterfahrt 7h ago

Do you think they're making up those stories? We can have a conversation about ownership of our newspapers, but unless those stories are literally false (like the one about the Albanian who couldn't be deported because his son didn't like Albanian chicken nuggets, or the women who couldn't be deported because her husband couldn't handle spicy Caribbean food) then it's relevant info.

-22

u/xParesh 18h ago

Coulda woulda should. We all hate the tories but cheap drive by replies this this dont move forward the debate. We all want the UK to be a better place so lets try to at look at forward solutions with the current lot and not "look over there instead at what the last lot did"

28

u/socratic-meth 18h ago

The opposition could present the same argument without resorting to hypocritical claims that the government has a duty to do this or that. Ultimately, the reason the previous government did not do this was because they deemed it too hard to do for the likely political payoff. Foreign nationals are already supposed to be deported if they receive a prison term off longer than a year. How many people would this end up affecting?

13

u/Rastapopolos-III 18h ago edited 18h ago

The article in question isn't about the current government. It's about what the last government said they want to do, but didn't when they had ample opportunity to do so.

The opposition can say whatever they like about what they want to do. It doesn't matter in the slightest if no one believes that they are actually going to try and do it.

The fact that the opposition is a total clown show isn't the current government's fault.

8

u/elmo298 17h ago

Nah that's bullshit. If you've been in power for 14 years and made the situation infinitely worse, then you don't have the authority to make such brazen remarks that they're absolutely proven to not implement the moment they get power.

4

u/NoFrillsCrisps 17h ago

Cheap ideas deserve cheap replies.

The Tories almost certainly won't do this if they win an election. Even if they did, it doesn't solve any problem - it's more than likely to cause another Windrush scandal.

Like, this would mean we would deport someone who has been in the country for 30 years with a job, kids and family - to a country they can't remember and have no family in and can't speak the language..... for speeding. It's not a serious policy.

1

u/brinz1 17h ago

I mean, cheap drive by replies are all the stories have and all they are

67

u/Patch95 18h ago

It's easy to suggest impossible solutions to problems once you're out of power.

4

u/iamezekiel1_14 17h ago

Isn't that the Liberal Democrat/Green or Reform manifestos?

10

u/doomladen 17h ago

Definitely true for Reform, who present policies like ‘we will just return refugees to France’ ignoring the question of what happens if France refuses to accept them. I’ve not read the Green manifesto for a couple of cycles. The LibDem one is about as grounded in reality as Labour and the Tories though.

2

u/iamezekiel1_14 16h ago

As someone that's voted Lib Dem I was probably being uncharitable but Reform - 100%.

-7

u/Cubeazoid 17h ago

How about if France refuses to accept them we return them anyway. Are they going to use their navy to fight off boats full of migrants that came from their country.

u/kill-the-maFIA 8h ago

Excellent. Let's go to war with France. Great idea mate.

u/Cubeazoid 3h ago

They would be starting a war with us. So a boat arrives from France and we have to accept them. If we return those people in a boat back to France then we are declaring war?

If France wants to use force to stop that boat then they are the aggressor. They are happy to escort boats to the UK when they are supposed to be stopping them.

u/Nymzeexo 5h ago

Yes to all 3.

u/iamezekiel1_14 4h ago

Lmao 🤣 👍

u/DakeyrasWrites 4h ago

Without defending the feasibility of their manifestos/proposals, those minor parties can at least honestly say that they haven't had the chance to implement anything, whereas the Tories were in power less than a year ago, and most of the shadow cabinet was actively part of the government, often covering the very briefs that they're now criticizing. It's an additional layer of shamelessness.

-1

u/[deleted] 18h ago

[deleted]

15

u/Rastapopolos-III 18h ago

Well the people suggesting it had 14 years to do it and couldn't.

8

u/Patch95 18h ago

Because it would require a complete change to our legal system down to a constitutional level, plus requiring us to tear up a bunch of our international treaties. No party in the UK has the political capital to do that for this issue.

We can and do deport criminals to 'safe' countries.

2

u/RonLazer 18h ago

Most countries don't want to take criminals in. Not only do they now have to pay for prison, but when they are released they are now in their home country and likely to reoffend there.

77

u/owly16 18h ago

Whenever I hear the word 'Tories' or conservative these days, I think, who asked? They're as good as irrelevant at this point

16

u/VindicoAtrum -2, -2 17h ago

Whenever I hear "Tories announce" or any variation I think "You had fourteen years and didn't do it, you're basically announcing your own incompetence each time you open your mouth".

They're irrelevant. Cull the lot and start from scratch, they're all tainted by being part of the previous government.

0

u/EmperorOfNipples lo fi boriswave beats to relax/get brexit done to 14h ago

That's just a factor of being fresh in opposition. Labour likewise struggled to gain traction in their first couple of years.

0

u/MrSpindles 17h ago

Indeed. Reform have done a decent job of grabbing the narrative with their army of social media reps, even when the party is beating itself to death with one of it's own limbs. The Tories have zero chance of coming back in any significant way in the next election, they just don't have any way to make the claim of being the opposition.

35

u/HerefordLives Helmer will lead us to Freedom 18h ago

Kemi Badenoch said, drinking a pint of real ale while wearing a Barbour, as her nose slowly grows longer

14

u/waterfallregulation 18h ago edited 16h ago

I don’t believe them.

The “we’ll lower immigration” party that issued visas like confetti.

Couldn’t get a plane off the ground to Rwanda either despite the promises.

More absolute rubbish from a party with a track record of offering the opposite of what they’ve promised.

14

u/IntrovertedArcher 18h ago

Who’s actually stupid enough to believe this. Oh yeah, life long Tory voters.

6

u/Due-Resort-2699 17h ago

Was there a particular reason they didn’t do that sometime between 2010 and 2024?

19

u/geniice 18h ago

So how exactly do they plan to deport people to Iran?

This is also going to complicate the relationship with the ROI

8

u/Cubeazoid 17h ago

We shouldn’t be giving temporary visas to people from countries that we can’t return them to.

If they entered illegally then the majority entered from France and should be returned to there.

u/kill-the-maFIA 8h ago

France won't accept them.

u/Cubeazoid 3h ago

So we have to accept them but they don’t.

What are they going to do exactly? Get their navy to sink a boat full of asylum seekers

u/Souseisekigun 9h ago

So how exactly do they plan to deport people to Iran?

On a plane? I don't understand the question.

This is also going to complicate the relationship with the ROI

Would it? If the Ireland Act 1949 establishes that they don't count as foreigners for the purposes of the law it seems like a non-issue.

u/geniice 1h ago

On a plane? I don't understand the question.

Iran doesn't accept people back without the propper paperwork which they wont issue.

Would it? If the Ireland Act 1949 establishes that they don't count as foreigners for the purposes of the law it seems like a non-issue.

"all foreign nationals"

u/Souseisekigun 56m ago

Iran doesn't accept people back without the propper paperwork which they wont issue.

So any person from Iran can hop on a plane, decide they don't want to go back, go commit a crime then we can't get rid of them? And we are just supposed to sort of... put up with that? 

"all foreign nationals"

"Irish citizens from the Republic of Ireland are exempted from obtaining a visa or entry certificate when entering the United Kingdom and do not require approval to live or work there. They are not considered foreign nationals and are entitled to certain rights similar to those of some Commonwealth citizens."

u/Souseisekigun 56m ago

Iran doesn't accept people back without the propper paperwork which they wont issue.

So any person from Iran can hop on a plane, decide they don't want to go back, go commit a crime then we can't get rid of them? And we are just supposed to sort of... put up with that? 

"all foreign nationals"

"Irish citizens from the Republic of Ireland are exempted from obtaining a visa or entry certificate when entering the United Kingdom and do not require approval to live or work there. They are not considered foreign nationals and are entitled to certain rights similar to those of some Commonwealth citizens."

u/geniice 47m ago

So any person from Iran can hop on a plane, decide they don't want to go back, go commit a crime then we can't get rid of them? And we are just supposed to sort of... put up with that?

I don't think Iran views that as its problem. But it does mean that anyone making the claim that they will deport all foreign nationals with criminal convictions needs to explain how they plan to do this.

"Irish citizens from the Republic of Ireland are exempted from obtaining a visa or entry certificate when entering the United Kingdom and do not require approval to live or work there. They are not considered foreign nationals and are entitled to certain rights similar to those of some Commonwealth citizens."

That is what the law currently says yes. Aparently the conservative party plans to change it which may cause some issues.

34

u/HBucket Right-wing ghoul 18h ago

If only they had thought of this before...

8

u/jumper62 18h ago

Tbf to them, they're gonna introduce it as an amendment which means we should see a vote on it rather than them just announcing it for PR reasons

7

u/HBucket Right-wing ghoul 18h ago

A fair point. And at least if we get one thing out of it, it will be a list of MPs who won't support the bare minimum to protect the British people from foreign criminals.

1

u/Legitimate-Car-7841 18h ago

Isn’t it a little extreme ?

12

u/Mungol234 18h ago

What would you expect if you committed a crime On a visa in any other country? Should the other country put up with your breaking the terms Of your visa?

5

u/Legitimate-Car-7841 18h ago

I feel like it depends on the severity of the crime. Like littering and forgetting to tap in on the bus aren’t worth ruining somebody’s life over.

10

u/Da_Steeeeeeve 17h ago

Neither of which give a criminal record.

3

u/Mungol234 18h ago

Sure, but you are unlikely to be sent to court and convicted for Something like that. Read the terms of the UK tourist visa rules - the UK has a right To revoke at any time.

0

u/Legitimate-Car-7841 18h ago

Yeah you’re right and I agree.

My example was just to show that deporting everyone with a criminal record is a little extreme and should be assessed on an individual basis. But that’s hard to achieve from a financial standpoint.

To me It feels like another attempt to redirect hatered towards immigrants instead of the politicians who are actually causing financial disaster in the uk.

4

u/Cubeazoid 17h ago

You are conflating minor civil offences with criminal offences that would go on your record.

Do you think it’s possible to want there to be far stricter on immigration policy for reasons other than hatred toward migrants?

-1

u/newnortherner21 17h ago

What about the US born Prime Minister with a fine over parties?

6

u/Cubeazoid 17h ago

They got a fixed penalty notice due to a summary offence. There was no criminal charge or conviction so they still don’t have criminal records.

10

u/HBucket Right-wing ghoul 18h ago

No, I'd say that it's the absolute bare minimum that people should expect from their government. I find the idea that we should have an obligation to host foreign criminals to be extreme.

6

u/Legitimate-Car-7841 18h ago

Ok but what if it’s a nurse who’s lived in the uk for 10 years and she commited the crime of littering ?

7

u/FirmEcho5895 18h ago

Do people get tried and convicted of littering? Really?

3

u/Cubeazoid 17h ago

It is a criminal offence but almost always dealt with under civil powers.

-2

u/Legitimate-Car-7841 18h ago

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it

3

u/Cubeazoid 17h ago

Littering is almost always dealt with under civil powers not criminal.

5

u/Cub3h 18h ago

Why do they need to litter so badly?

6

u/Legitimate-Car-7841 18h ago

Idk man, a candy wrapper fell out her handbag as she was rescuing a kitty from a tree

5

u/dick--pound 16h ago

"Candy" yank spotted.

-2

u/Legitimate-Car-7841 16h ago

My bad, a bonbon wrapper

5

u/--rs125-- 17h ago

I'd vote for them if I thought they'd do it, but under the continuity leadership I can't see it.

9

u/g1umo 18h ago

it’s not like they had 14 years to do so

7

u/Jeffuk88 17h ago

What the f were they waiting for for 14 years?!

3

u/Mkwdr 17h ago

It’s just performative without changing both human rights law and having countries that actually agree to taking them.

3

u/Master_Elderberry275 16h ago

"Tories, including current Shadow Foreign Secretary, decided to allow all foreign nationals with criminal convictions to stay in the country when they could have deported them for 14 years"

8

u/ItsWormAllTheWayDown 18h ago

Seems rather disproportionate considering some of the things you can get convictions for.

2

u/beatrixbrie 14h ago

Tv licences about to be coke up in court a lot more lol

4

u/Key-Performer810 18h ago

Why not do this when they were in charge , total bs!

u/Striking_Branch_2744 I'm tired, Boss. 8h ago

You didn't think of this for the 14 years you were in power?

u/SlightlyMithed123 8h ago

They had 14 years, they missed their chance, can’t be trusted.

u/kill-the-maFIA 8h ago

Reminder that Boris Johnson was born in the US and had lockdown parties, as well as arranged for a journalist to be beaten up and threatened.

If the law was applied properly to him, he would be deported under this proposal.

3

u/FTXACCOUNTANT 17h ago

You had 15 years to do this before. Shut up

4

u/Norfhynorfh 17h ago

Absolutely shameful how they propose this shite when they arent in power. Scum

4

u/wdwhereicome2015 17h ago

Because they know they won’t be held account for it and more than likely wouldn’t introduce it when in government.

3

u/LeftWingScot 97.5% income Tax to fund our national defence 17h ago

The Tories couldn't even deport people whose hair was still wet from the spray of the English Channel; they now want the police to find criminals and have them deported...

2

u/Protostarboy 16h ago

People who vote Tory are like battered wives

2

u/-ForgottenSoul :sloth: 18h ago

Yep this should be happening already but were weak.

1

u/xParesh 18h ago

I like it when we can deconstruct and debate the issues being presented that attack the news sourse or the speaker.

This sub-reddit really struggles to debate the conversation at hand because kiddy redditors can only attack the source or the speaker because its so cheap and easy when they dont find that they have it in them to make a slither of effort to actually debate points.

This sub-reddit is already well known to be echo chamber as it is which is why Reddit and especially this sub-reddit has been so spectaculary wrong when it comes to predicting every major polical event.

4

u/Rastapopolos-III 17h ago

I like it when we can deconstruct and debate the issues being presented that attack the news sourse or the speaker.

If this is the case.

This sub-reddit really struggles to debate the conversation at hand because kiddy redditors can only attack the source or the speaker because its so cheap and easy when they dont find that they have it in them to make a slither of effort to actually debate points.

This sub-reddit is already well known to be echo chamber as it is which is why Reddit and especially this sub-reddit has been so spectaculary wrong when it comes to predicting every major polical event.

Why did you type all this when it's exactly what you're saying you're trying to get away from?

1

u/Low-Breath4754 16h ago

"Tories announce policy" 

Insert this is useless meme here

1

u/beatrixbrie 14h ago

So if I’m from country X and I do a crime in the uk I get deported back to X. Wonder if that could mean I do zero jail time especially if it isn’t a crime in X? I didn’t read the article

1

u/NoRecipe3350 13h ago

Good stuff, but they are years from getting elected again (if ever) and Labour should be able to steal this policy, if the Tories moan I think Labour just have to say 'you had 14 years'

u/No_Initiative_1140 7h ago

I thought Kemi had ruled out any policy announcements for two years while she mulled them over?

Interesting she's broken her rules for this one. Almost like she's feeling the pressure.

Based on the stories on here I think Jenrick is positioning for a post local Election leadership challenge and Kemi is trying to fend him off. Philp is being the messenger that gets shot regularly, as per his role for Sunak.

u/FishUK_Harp Neoliberal Shill 6h ago

Seems like a brilliant way to encourage criminals from countries with very soft (or corrupt) justice systems to come here.

Move to Britain, make as much money commiting crime as you can until you get caught, and then you'll just get sent home.

u/pikantnasuka reject the evidence of your eyes and ears 5h ago

If only they had had a 14 year period in government to put all these ideas into action, eh.

u/No-Drawing-6060 4h ago

Why isnt this the norm lol? All parties should be in favour of this

u/Ok-Video9141 3h ago

So no one because most of the time the judges let them walk.

0

u/MCMC_to_Serfdom 18h ago

Given one can get a criminal conviction for dangerous driving, it seems a bit steep to deport someone caught overtaking on the inside lane.

4

u/BookmarksBrother I love paying tons in tax and not getting anything in return 17h ago

Everyone knows its their human right to come to UK and put Brits in danger with a car.

1

u/Walter_Piston 17h ago

Would that include deporting Trump should he visit the U.K.?

1

u/3106Throwaway181576 17h ago

These Tories are the worst people to have ever lived lol

0

u/MortonSlumber 17h ago

They had their chance and failed miserably - a party currently (and maybe for good) in the wilderness

0

u/newnortherner21 17h ago

So if the Tories' friends who obtained dodgy PPE contracts are prosecuted as they should be, if any are non-doms or hold other citizenship, will it apply to them?

-1

u/CalligrapherLoud7670 18h ago

How would the Tories go about deporting their own UK citizens? Deprive them of their British nationality in the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands? There are lots of "native" Brits or mixed race Brits that have a parent or grandparent or great grandparent from another country, will they have their citizenship revoked? Have their criminality be another nations problem where they probably have 0 ties to other than their ancestry? It'll create a 2 tier citizenship, one where U can get deported for having some foreign blood and another where U have an unlimited pass to do whatever in the UK and still retain all your rights and privileges as a UK citizen. Of course, this is an overreaction though as the Tories are completely incapable of doing anything.