Immigration: Offenders

(asked on 15th January 2026) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 102638, what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for individuals convicted of immigration-related offences.


Answered by
Jake Richards Portrait
Jake Richards
Assistant Whip
This question was answered on 22nd January 2026

The Ministry of Justice has not made an assessment of the cost effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for individuals convicted of immigration-related offences. Rehabilitation pathways (including for this cohort) are determined by an individual’s assessed risk and needs, ensuring interventions are targeted and proportionate.

Reoffending more broadly imposes a significant financial burden on the public, costing an estimated £22.7 billion per year (adjusted to 2024/25 prices). Our rehabilitative interventions are delivered in line with the evidence base which suggests that employment and education programmes and substance misuse treatment can reduce the risk of reoffending. For example, offenders who leave custody into employment are up to 9 percentage points less likely to reoffend, and a similar percentage reduction in reoffending for those who have engaged in any form of in-prison education. Similarly, an MoJ experimental statistical report found a 19-percentage point reduction in the 2-year rate of reoffending for offenders who successfully completed treatment compared to those who dropped out.

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