Foreign crooks beat system to stay in UK

Almost 4,000 foreign criminals whom the Government wants to deport are at large in the community, figures show.

Some 2,500 were released from jail more than two years ago and more than 800 have been released for more than five years, UK Border Agency (UKBA) statistics show.

Rob Whiteman, the agency’s chief executive, admitted foreign criminals were not being deported quickly enough. He blamed the lengthy judicial processes, difficulties obtaining documents from other countries and deliberate attempts to frustrate the system.

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One foreign criminal frustrated attempts to deport him nine times before he was sent back earlier this year, Mr Whiteman told MPs on the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee yesterday.

One trick used by offenders is to tell officials on arriving home that they are not from that country, he added.

“I agree with you that it’s taking too long,” he said.

“We do not want foreign national offenders to be in the community for several years before they are deported.”

He said that in 90 per cent of cases, courts rather than the UKBA had ruled the criminals should be released because there was no realistic prospect of a quick removal. “Our view is that they should be held in detention,” he said.

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Mr Whiteman blamed several factors for delays, including the length of time it could take for cases to go through the system, multiple rights of appeal on different points of law, difficulties obtaining documents from foreign countries and problems with people trying to obstruct the system.

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