Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is being spent every year paying convicted criminals to leave the UK. The Mail has the story:
Some £6.5 million has been handed out to foreign criminals between July 2024, when Labour came to power, and October 2025.
The grants, awarded under the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS), were given to 4,625 people at an average of £1,405 each, data exclusively obtained by the the Mail shows.
The money is paid to “encourage” foreign nationals who have been convicted of a criminal offence while in the UK to leave the country “at the earliest possible opportunity” – some a whole four years before the end of their jail sentence. …
Data obtained by the the Mail shows that between the day after Sir Keir Starmer’s election win and the end of October 2025, the Government paid out £6,500,626 to foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences in Britain.
October 2025 saw the largest payout at £590,913 to 410 people, compared to the lowest in January of that year at £291,277 to 211 people. …
The FRS has been in place since 2006 and, according to the Government, offers “resettlement grants” in the form of “financial support for reintegration to encourage FNOs [foreign national offenders] to cooperate with their early removal from the UK”.
The Home Office defines an FNO as someone who is not British and has been convicted of any crime in the UK.
Criminals must apply for the grant, and are eligible to receive up to £1,500 if they make their application while serving a custodial sentence.
This drops to £750 for those who apply after finishing their prison sentence or who were not sentenced to prison time.
Children of those awarded grants under the scheme are also eligible for an additional grant of up to £1,500 each if they are also returning to their home country.
The Mail understands only two FNOs deported in the time period covered by the £6.5 million took any dependents with them.
A “discretionary” extra payment of £500 can also be paid to “vulnerable” migrants who have committed offences, such as those with mental health problems, physical disabilities, pregnant women and those who are elderly, sick or homeless.
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Deport them, take a finger. If they come back it’s a hand next time. Third time… there is no third time. I know I sound heartless but I’ve had enough. Look at what’s happening to Spain. Millions must leave.
An average cost of £1,405 is definitely value for money to get rid of scum, it’s probably less than the cost of keeping them in prison for a week.
Lets hope plenty of biometric data is kept on these people so they can’t just come straight back and if they try they go straight to jail, do not pass Go and do not collect £200, to complete their sentence plus an extra couple of years for trying to take the piss.
Chance would be a fine thing.