The United Kingdom government has disbursed approximately £6.5 million of taxpayer funds to foreign nationals convicted of crimes in the UK to encourage their departure from the country. The payments were made under the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) between July 2024, following the Labour Party's election win, and October 2025.
During this period, 4,625 individuals received grants, averaging £1,405 each. These funds are intended to incentivize foreign national offenders (FNOs) to leave the UK at the earliest opportunity, with some departing up to four years before the completion of their custodial sentences. The FRS has been operational since 2006, offering resettlement grants as financial support for reintegration to encourage cooperation with early removal.
October 2025 recorded the highest payout at £590,913 distributed to 410 individuals, while January 2025 saw the lowest at £291,277 for 211 recipients. These figures were obtained by the Daily Mail following a request to overturn a Home Office decision to withhold the data.
The scheme allows for grants of up to £1,500 for FNOs applying while serving a custodial sentence, dropping to £750 for those applying after their sentence or who did not receive a prison term. Additional grants of up to £1,500 are available for the children of individuals receiving FRS payments if they also return to their home country. A discretionary payment of £500 can also be provided to vulnerable migrants who have committed offenses, including those with mental health issues, physical disabilities, pregnant women, or those who are elderly, sick, or homeless.
The scheme came under scrutiny last year when Hadush Kebatu, a convicted sex offender who arrived in the UK via small boat and claimed asylum, received a £500 payment to return to Ethiopia. Kebatu was mistakenly released from prison instead of being deported and was on the run for three days before being apprehended. After reportedly threatening to disrupt his deportation, he was forcibly removed from the UK by security officers.
The Home Office stated that the FRS is a more cost-efficient solution than imprisonment or lengthy legal challenges against removal. They cite that the service can save taxpayers up to £215,000 per offender, compared to the average annual cost of housing a prisoner, which was £53,801 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The department also noted that nearly 70,000 individuals without the right to be in the UK have been returned since the last election, a 41% increase, with removals of foreign national offenders, including murderers and rapists, up by 36%.