Queen’s Speech: Deport first, appeal later: Foreign criminals to be tagged

David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne listen to the Queen's speech during the State Opening of Parliament

The measure, which will see offenders tracked by satellite when they are released on bail, is included in legislation to control immigration.

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Soldiers in front of Buckingham Palace, London, ahead of the State Opening of Parliament.

It comes after official figures revealed that the number of foreign criminals living in the community rose above 5,000 for the first time this year.

The plans also include:

•Introducing an offence of illegal working which will give authorities powers to seize wages from illegal migrants.

•The creation of a new enforcement agency to crack down on exploitation.

Yeoman of the Guard pass through the Peer's Lobby during the ceremonial search ahead of the State Opening of Parliament

•Forcing banks to check current accounts against illegal migrant databases.

•Extending the “deport first, appeal later” approach from criminal cases to all immigration cases, except in those in which it will cause “serious harm”.

•Carrying out a consultation on funding apprenticeship schemes for British and EU workers by implementing a new visa levy on businesses that use foreign labour.

David Cameron announced the plans last week as official figures showed net migration to the UK soared in 2014.

Prime Minister David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the State Opening of Parliament.

Data released last week revealed that there were 5,053 foreign offenders who were subject to deportation action living in the community in the first three months of this year. This was a rise of almost a fifth compared to the same period in 2014.

The Home Office said the main factor contributing to the rise was an increase in police checks for overseas criminal convictions on foreign nationals going through custody.

The department said it was not due to more people being released from prison and that these figures have fallen.

Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said: “Foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes in the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them - the forthcoming Immigration Bill will include legislation to use GPS satellite technology to tag foreign national offenders whom we are seeking to deport when they are released on immigration bail.

“We take our duty to protect the public very seriously - we have removed more than 23,000 foreign criminals since 2010.

“In the vast majority of cases where people have been released into the community their release was ordered by an immigration judge despite our strenuous objections.

“We have toughened the law by cutting the number of grounds on which criminals can appeal deportation and speeding up removals so that more are deported before the end of their sentences. More than 800 people have been removed under these tough new ‘deport first, appeal later’ provisions.”

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