Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has proposed sending all foreign prisoners serving sentences in England and Wales abroad to address prison overcrowding and enable changes to sentencing laws. The party is exploring options with third countries for renting prison spaces, with El Salvador and Baltic states like Estonia and Lithuania mentioned as potential locations.
Reform UK stated that removing foreign nationals from the prison estate, along with building emergency 'Nightingale' prisons, would allow for serious criminals to serve their full sentences. According to the party's claims, these proposals could free up more than 10,000 prison spaces. At the end of June, 10,134 foreign nationals were held in custody in England and Wales, representing 12% of the total prison population.
Under the proposed plan, foreign nationals given non-custodial sentences would be deported to their country of origin. Those with custodial sentences would serve their entire term in their home country or in a third country that offers rented prison spaces if their home country refuses to accept them. However, the party's policy document does not specify whether the plan would include remand prisoners, who constitute approximately one-third of the foreign national inmate population.
During a press conference to unveil the plans, both Farage and Reform's home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, did not provide further details on the inclusion of remand prisoners.
Labour criticized the proposal, stating that Reform UK has "no serious answers to the Tory prisons crisis and would lead the system to collapse."