Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to prevent the repatriation of prisoners sentenced for violent crimes when there is any doubt that the prisoner will serve out the remainder of their sentence.

The Government is committed to removing foreign national offenders from our prisons wherever possible, ensuring they are no longer a burden on the taxpayer and cannot return to this country. While the Ministry of Justice is responsible for prisoner transfer arrangements, we work closely with the Home Office and other government departments on the removal of foreign national offenders.

Prisoner transfers take place under legally binding international treaties that contain robust safeguards governing the recognition and enforcement of sentences by the receiving State. Transfers are only approved where the Department is satisfied that the sentence will continue to be enforced in a manner comparable to that imposed by the courts of England and Wales.

Before agreeing to any transfer, the Department carefully assess the receiving State's proposed sentence enforcement and release arrangements. Each case is considered on its individual merits. The nature of the offence is not the only determining factor, the Department considers the views of victims and wider risk to public confidence in the criminal justice system if the transfer were to go ahead. Where there is any doubt that a prisoner will serve out their sentence in accordance with the applicable legal framework, the transfer will not proceed.

The Department continues to work closely with international counterparts to strengthen prisoner transfer arrangements and support the effective removal of foreign national offenders, while ensuring appropriate safeguards remain in place following transfer.