Reform UK Criticizes Prison for Providing Citizenship Test Books to Foreign Inmates

A dispute has emerged between Reform UK and the prison service over the availability of books designed to help foreign nationals pass the Life in the UK Test, a requirement for British citizenship. Reform UK has accused the prison service of "working against patriotic British people" after HMP Maidstone refused to remove these study materials from its library.

The controversy began when Reform UK learned that HMP Maidstone had purchased books and practice papers for the Life in the UK Test for its foreign inmates using public funds. The party subsequently wrote to the prison governor, Paul Mason, requesting the removal of materials that could assist foreign national prisoners in their naturalisation process.

Governor Mason declined the request, stating in a letter that "prison libraries exist to support education, literacy, personal development and rehabilitation." He explained that the study materials did not raise any security, safety, good order, discipline, or public protection concerns, nor were they subject to any national restriction. Consequently, he found no policy basis to justify their removal from the prison's collection.

Under current guidelines, individuals are not disqualified from applying for British Citizenship even if they have served a prison sentence of up to four years.

Reform UK's Home Affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, expressed his disappointment, stating, "Taxpayers will be shocked to learn they are being forced to help foreign criminals get British citizenship." He added, "The books in the jails for foreign nationals are the result of Tory and Labour governments. When Reform’s Council demanded the books be removed, the Prison Governor refused. The situation is clear: the establishment is working against patriotic British people. As Home Secretary I will deport every single prisoner in that jail."

Reform UK has previously advocated for a stricter stance on foreign national offenders. Earlier in the year, party leader Nigel Farage announced plans to deport approximately 10,000 foreign nationals from British jails to their home countries or third-party nations if his party gains power. Farage argued that such deportations would free up prison space and save significant costs associated with incarceration.

At the Conservative party conference, the government also pledged to deport foreign criminals convicted of all but minor offenses, aiming to remove 40,000 offenders annually. The party stated that the number of serious foreign criminals residing in the UK who should have been removed had increased by over 20% under the previous Labour government, reaching 21,294.