A scheme to remove 200 dangerous foreign criminals from UK prisons has seen just 13 sent home in three years. The £8 million plan, signed with Albania in 2023, aimed to free up critical space in overcrowded British prisons.
The deal proposed deporting some of the most serious Albanian offenders serving sentences of four years or more in England and Wales. It was hoped the move would reduce the UK prison population while reducing the financial burden on taxpayers.
Only 13 transferred so far
However, it has been revealed that just 13 Albanian prisoners have been transferred under the scheme so far. A source in the Albanian Ministry of Justice said: "The goal was to transfer 200 Albanian prisoners serving more than four years, but only 13 have been transferred so far."
According to Ministry of Justice data, there are between 1,200 and 1,500 Albanian nationals currently held in UK prisons. They represent around 10% of the total foreign prisoner population in the UK - the largest of any nation.
Challenges and backlog
Their return to their home country is dependent on the approval of the Albanian and British governments. As the majority previously entered the UK illegally, obtaining the necessary legal documentation to facilitate their transfer has proved challenging.
There is now believed to be a backlog of cases in Albania as the British government continues to work to remove some of the prisoners. The UK previously agreed to pay Albania £8 million to refurbish its prisons and get the deal up and running.
Costs and government response
The UK government pays the Albanian government to cover the cost of accommodating each transferred prisoner, with custody currently costing the British taxpayer approximately £56,000 per prisoner per year. Data shows that Albanian murderers sentenced to 35 years or more can therefore cost British taxpayers a minimum of £2 million.
A government spokeswoman said: "Under this Government, returns and deportations are at their highest level in nearly a decade. Prisoner Transfer Agreements are only one way in which we get foreign criminals out of our jails. We have changed the law so they can now be deported earlier than ever before, and over 11,700 have been removed since July 2024."
