Deportations of foreign murderers at record low

Human rights challenges have halted efforts to deport convicted murderers.

Figures released by the Home Office revealed the number of Category A foreign criminals and highest harm immigration offenders deported in the last year have dropped to 956.

The figures are the lowest since records began in 2013, when the number remained at 2,205.

The news follows reports that the number of foreign criminals released from prison peaked at a record high of more than 11,000.

Official figures demonstrate that, at the end of March this year, there were 11,300 foreign national offenders who had been released but not deported.

All offenders are subject to deportation as they were handed prison sentences of at least 12 months

Category A offenders include, murders, robbers and sex offenders who have pursued appeals to their deportation on the grounds of their right to a private or family life in Britain.

Earlier this month, the initial flight for migrants bound for deportation in Rwanda was grounded, following human rights claims to a family life.

Following the challenges, the UK Government struck a "major new immigration agreement" with Nigeria to help speed up the removal of some of the thousands of dangerous foreign criminals released from British prisons.

On Thursday, a flight to Nigeria and Ghana removed 11 Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) and 10 other Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals, with no right to be in the UK.

The deal with Nigeria is planned to help introduce a quicker removal process for Foreign National Offenders and those with no right to remain in the UK.

It is a different type of deal to the economic partnership with Rwanda, announced in April.

The Rwanda agreement is designed to process asylum seekers, who arrive in the UK by “irregular routes”, in the central African nation instead.