Reform UK has put forward a proposal to send all foreign nationals currently serving prison sentences in the UK to serve their time abroad. This plan, championed by party leader Nigel Farage, aims to address prison overcrowding and potentially dismantle Labour’s early release scheme. The party is reportedly exploring partnerships with third countries to rent prison spaces, with El Salvador being a prominent example. Reform chairman Lee Anderson is expected to visit El Salvador soon to initiate discussions.
Reform UK’s Prison Capacity Solution
The core of Reform UK’s strategy involves removing foreign nationals from the UK’s prison estate. Coupled with the construction of new “Nightingale” prisons, the party believes this would create sufficient capacity to implement changes in sentencing laws, ensuring that serious offenders serve their full terms. According to Reform’s estimates, these measures could free up over 10,000 prison spaces. The proposal extends to foreign criminals receiving non-custodial sentences, who would be deported to their country of origin. Those with custodial sentences would either return to their home countries or be housed in rented prison facilities in third countries if their home nations refuse to accept them.
Reform has previously identified Kosovo and El Salvador as potential locations for housing these prisoners. Nigel Farage recently suggested that Baltic states like Estonia and Lithuania could also offer “Baltic state options.” At the end of June, England and Wales held 10,134 foreign nationals in custody, constituting 12% of the total prison population. However, the party’s policy document does not clarify whether this plan would encompass remand prisoners, who represent approximately one-third of the foreign national inmate population. This detail was not addressed by Farage or home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf during the plan’s unveiling.
Cost and Human Rights Considerations
Nigel Farage has previously highlighted El Salvador as an “extreme example” of a country where foreign prisoners could be sent, suggesting it would be “half the cost” compared to housing them in the UK. He downplayed concerns about human rights abuses in El Salvador, stating, “Not all of the prisons are cages.” El Salvador has implemented a stringent crackdown on gang-related crime, leading to the world’s highest incarceration rate. The country is notably home to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot), a large-scale facility. Reform asserts that upon completing their sentences, foreign national offenders would be repatriated and permanently barred from re-entering the UK.
Precedent and Government Response
The concept of renting prison spaces from third countries is not new, with reports indicating that successive UK governments have considered similar arrangements. Denmark, for instance, agreed in 2021 to pay Kosovo an annual fee of £12.8 million for the rental of 300 prison spaces over an initial five-year period. This proposal emerges as the UK government faces mounting pressure regarding its early release scheme, scheduled to commence in October for England and Wales, with an initial cohort of 5,000 prisoners set for release. Recent adjustments have seen exclusions for prisoners convicted of rape, grooming, and serious child sex offenses. However, the eligibility of two individuals convicted of manslaughter in the killing of PC Andrew Harper for early release, after being sentenced to 13 years in 2020, has drawn significant public attention and sparked a petition with over 850,000 signatures calling for their continued incarceration.
Downing Street has stated that exempting specific offenders convicted of manslaughter from early release is not feasible. Nigel Farage acknowledged the challenging situation inherited by Labour from the Conservatives but criticized their perceived lack of innovative solutions. “They don’t appear to have the imagination or the will to solve it,” he remarked.
Broader Sentencing Reforms and Prison Capacity
Reform UK’s proposals extend beyond foreign nationals. The party’s home affairs spokesman indicated that a Reform government would aim to increase the overall prison population by incarcerating more individuals. Their plans include reinstating short sentences for shoplifting offenses and ensuring that serious offenders serve their entire sentences without early release. Reform estimates that these sentencing changes, combined with their deportation and Nightingale prison initiatives, would create enough capacity for an additional 18,000 prisoners. The “Nightingale” designation refers to the temporary emergency hospitals established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of August 3rd, the prison population in England and Wales stood at 86,495, operating at 97% of usable capacity. The Ministry of Justice has cautioned that the prison population could exceed capacity as early as November. A Labour Party spokesperson countered Reform’s proposals, stating that the government is actively working on deporting foreign criminals and expanding prison capacity. They warned that Reform’s plans could destabilize the system, leading to a “free for all for dangerous and violent offenders.”
Current Deportation Efforts
Deportation of foreign nationals sentenced to at least 12 months in prison is standard practice, though an appeals process exists. Home Office figures indicate that in the year ending March 2026, 5,858 foreign national offenders were returned to their home countries, a 13% increase from the previous year and the highest number recorded since 2017. Last year, 15 additional countries were incorporated into the Home Office’s “deport now, appeal later” scheme, which permits the government to deport foreign nationals convicted of crimes in the UK before their appeals are heard.
