Reform UK has announced plans to deport all foreign nationals from British prisons, with over 10,000 individuals affected, and send them to serve sentences in countries like El Salvador and Kosovo if their home countries refuse to take them back.
Policy unveiled
The party's Home Affairs Spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, unveiled the prisons policy late on Sunday, vowing to 'change the law so that those who commit serious crimes like murder, manslaughter, rape and serious violence serve their full sentences'.
Yusuf stated: 'Unbelievably, there are over 10,000 foreign nationals in British jails. We will deport all foreign nationals from our jails. If their home countries won't take them back we will send them to serve their sentences in countries like El Salvador and Kosovo. We will use the space created to ensure that serious criminals stay where they belong. Behind bars.'
Talks with El Salvador
Nigel Farage has reportedly already opened talks with El Salvador, which operates notorious 'hellhole' mega-prisons. A Reform delegation is set to visit the Central American country within months to discuss the feasibility of the plan.
The Sun has reported that initial conversations have taken place between El Salvador and Reform about renting prison spots. Party chairman Lee Anderson is due to lead a team of officials for a visit later this year.
Support and criticism
Reform's 'Shadow Chancellor' Robert Jenrick added: 'Reform will send foreign criminals to rot in jail in the likes of El Salvador, so killers like those of PC Andrew Harper are never released early.'
Donald Trump has already struck a similar agreement with El Salvador to deport migrants from the US, which sparked controversy over harsh prison conditions. Certain jails in the country see inmates confined to cells for 23.5 hours a day, with each cell holding 65 to 70 prisoners, and rival gang members often kept together.
Farage is also expected to announce plans to build 'Nightingale prisons' to create 12,000 more prison places.
Government pressure
The government faces pressure to reverse plans allowing two of PC Andrew Harper's killers to be freed early. Over 850,000 people have signed a petition calling for Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers to remain in jail.
Ministers are dealing with a prison overcrowding crisis, with warnings that the system could collapse unless thousands of convicts are released early. It is the first major test of Andy Burnham's premiership, with a Government source telling The Daily Telegraph that the Prime Minister is prepared to 'explore every option' to block their early release.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We have been clear that we wanted to go further and block more offenders from getting out sooner into their sentence but could not do so without risking prisons reaching capacity and collapsing. If that happened, police could not make arrests, courts could not remand offenders and there would be unchecked criminality on our streets.'
A Labour Party spokesperson said: 'Keeping the public safe is and always will be Labour's first priority. The Government has already made clear we are working at pace to deport foreign criminals and we're building more prison places to deliver justice for victims and keep criminals behind bars. Reform have no serious answers to the Tory prisons crisis and would lead the system to collapse. This would result in a free for all for dangerous and violent offenders, including murderers and rapists. Nigel Farage and Reform simply can't be trusted to keep Britain safe.'
