Foreign Prisoners (Hansard, 19 March 1991)

§ Mr. David Porter
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of the whole prison population convicted of drugs and related offences at 1 February were foreign nationals; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
The latest information which is readily available centrally relates to sentenced prisoners, excluding fine defaulters, on 30 June 1990 convicted of drugs offences. Of 3,160 such prisoners about 1,260–40 per cent.—were recorded as foreign nationals; nationality was not recorded for some 80–3 per cent.
We are planning to publicise abroad the long prison sentences which drug smugglers can expect on conviction in this country in the hope that this may dissuade some foreign nationals from bringing drugs into the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. David Porter
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from the convicted prison population on 1 February, what were the total numbers and percentages of the whole of(a) non-British EC nationals and (b) non-EC nationals.

§ Mrs. Rumbold
The latest information which is readily available centrally relates to sentenced prisoners, excluding fine defaulters on 30 June 1990. Of 34,880 such prisoners about 630–1.8 per cent.—were recorded as non-British EC nationals and about 2,540–7.3 per cent.—were recorded as non-EC nationals; nationality was not recorded for some 2,600–7.4 per cent. Around 420 of the EC nationals were recorded as nationals of the Republic of

Numbers of passengers refused leave to enter at Heathrow by nationality and month, 1990

Geographical region/Nationality Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

European Community

Belgium — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Denmark — ²— — — — — — — — ²— — — ³—

France — — — ²— — — — — — — ²— — ³—

Germany¹ — — — — — — — — ²— — — ²— ³—

Greece — — — — — — — — — — — ²— ³—

Italy — — — — — — — — — — ²— — ³—

Luxembourg — — — — — — — — — — — — —

72W
Ireland, but the information is not completely reliable because it depends upon information provided by the prisoner.

§ Mr. David Porter
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it his policy to return to country of origin all convicted foreign nationals in prisons unless there are compelling reasons to hold them in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will bring forward a scheme for automatic repatriation of convicted drugs offenders who are non-British nationals with a lifetime ban on return to the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. John Patten
Arrangements already exist under the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons, to which most European countries, the United States of America and Canada are party, for the repatriation of prisoners to complete custodial sentences in their own countries. We expect to be in a position before long to join the Commonwealth scheme which will provide for prisoners to be transferred between the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries which may join the scheme. However, repatriations under these and any other international arrangements to which we may subscribe under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984 require the consent of the prisoner and of both governments concerned.
The Immigration Act 1971 provides powers to deport those subject to immigration control who are convicted of criminal offences in this country. In particular, the courts may recommend deportation in addition to imposing a term of imprisonment. A deportation order, once made, bars re-entry to the United Kingdom for as long as it remains in force.