Foreign prisoners in UK jails should be deported to serve their sentences overseas, Nigel Farage has said, in a policy designed to end the prison overcrowding crisis and the need for early releases.
The Reform UK leader said that if his party wins a general election, it would deport foreign inmates either to their home country or to a third-party country willing to accept them. This would free up space in prisons and save money, as keeping prisoners in the UK is expensive.
Deporting 10,800 Foreign Prisoners
Farage said: "There are 10,800 foreign prisoners. You deport them, either back to their home country, or you find a third party country that is prepared to have them. That would clear space in prison, and by the way, save a fortune. Because having prisoners in this country is very expensive."
He also plans to introduce temporary "Nightingale" prisons, modelled on the makeshift hospitals created during the Covid crisis. These would house British inmates instead of releasing them early, as happened with the killers of PC Andrew Harper.
Building Nightingale Prisons
Farage said: "During Covid they took an army brigadier who was good at logistics, and within five or six days, he built the Nightingale hospitals, that could house thousands of people. They weren't needed, but the contingency was there and it was done. We could build Nightingale prisons."
Farage and Reform home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf are promising to free up 10,000 prison spaces by removing foreigners and build 12,000 Nightingale prison places within 18 months of taking power.
Criticism of Early Releases
Yusuf said: "Andy Burnham is about to release killers from jail early, including the men who killed PC Andrew Harper. The Tories released thousands of prisoners early, including murderers and rapists. It was the Tories that created the prison capacity crisis, importing 6 million net new people through immigration and building just 455 net new prison places to cope. Reform will bring justice back to Britain, ensuring those who commit serious crimes like murder, rape and serious violence serve their full sentences."
Police 'Woke Culture' Warning
Speaking exclusively to the Express, Farage also warned that British police forces are infected by a "woke culture" that has made them biased against Right-wingers. He compared the UK to Russia and Communist China as he warned police were harassing people for expressing opinions instead of fighting crime.
He highlighted the Metropolitan Police's refusal to take action against Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who had shared a photo of a man with a T-shirt showing a guillotine and the phrase "we're only making plans for Nigel". The Green leader said he had made an "inadvertent mistake" but refused to apologise.
Farage said: "There were more knocks at the door in this country in 2025 than there were in Communist China or Russia. People do say horrible things on social media, but it all appears to be one way round. Polanski put something out on Instagram, which is 'only making plans for Nigel' with a guillotine, and the police say the evidential bar to act hasn't been reached. Can you imagine if I did that? I promise you, the evidential bar would be met."
