Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals are in prison in the UK; and what steps his Department is taking to send those nationals back to their countries of origin.

As of 30 June 2017, there were 6,792 foreign national offenders serving a custodial sentence in England and Wales.

This Government is absolutely committed to removing Foreign National Offenders, and during the financial year 2016 / 2017, 6,343 FNO’s were removed from prisons, immigration removal centres and the community. The barriers to returning FNOs to their countries of nationality are varied and complex which is why the action we take must be tailored to each specific country. I am working closely with ministerial colleagues in DFID, FCO, and Home Office, to ensure that all options are being pursued and that our early removal mechanisms are working as effectively as possible.