Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to increase the number of prison officers recruited from overseas.

His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not actively recruit foreign nationals from overseas.

HMPPS publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards and welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The hiring process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. All applicants applying to work in the Department must meet the CSNRs and other eligibility criterion published in job adverts.

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service.