Prisoners: Repatriation
Home Department
Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department
(1) what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of countries to which foreign national offenders can be removed;
(2) with reference to section 21 of the Coalition agreement, to how many more countries the UK can now deport foreign criminals than in 2010.
Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative)
There are no countries to which, as a matter of immigration policy, the UK Border Agency cannot remove foreign national offenders. However, there may be some countries where it is difficult to make enforced removals, or where there are legal barriers that prevent removal from taking place.
The UK Border Agency continues to work in partnership with the officials of foreign Governments to overcome any barriers faced in enforced removals.