Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wants to change the law so all foreign nationals in the UK who receive a criminal conviction, regardless of sentence length, would be deported
Multiple high-profile football stars would be deported under the Tories’ latest immigration pledge, research has found.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has vowed to deport all foreign nationals in the UK who receive a criminal conviction, regardless of sentence length. Research by Labour found the policy would mean a series of world-class footballers who have been slapped with driving offences would be deported from the country. It comes after top Tory MPs Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat faced driving bans in recent years after offences.
Stars would include footballers Hugo Lloris, the former Tottenham star and captain of France’s 2018 World Cup winning squad, who pleaded guilty to drink driving in 2018. Brazilian Joelinton, who lifted the League Cup trophy with Newcastle at the weekend, admitted drink-driving in 2023.
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Argentinian Enzo Fernandez, the Chelsea midfielder and one of the UK’s most expensive footballers, would also be at risk after being found guilty when a speeding driver of his car was not identified. Other current players include Danish-born Leeds ace Rasmus Kristensen, who pleaded guilty to speeding and using a mobile phone while driving.
As of the end of June 2023, there were at least 10,321 foreign nationals in prison in England and Wales. And as of September 2023, there were 11,800 people liable to deportation who had been released into the community after completing their sentence. This figure has roughly doubled over the last five years, a House of Commons analysis found in summer last year.
Kemi Badenoch’s party earlier this month announced a new policy for all foreign national offenders (FNO) to be deported if they are handed a criminal conviction. Currently all FNOs are considered for deportation if they are handed a prison sentence, with a 12-month sentence triggered a deportation order. The Tories planned to introduce an amendment to the government’s borders bill to remove the threshold. Refugee groups hit out at the Tory announcement branding it “ludicrously unworkable and blatant political grandstanding”.
At the time of the policy announcement, Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, told the Guardian: “This amendment is not only terrifying, it is ludicrously unworkable and blatant political grandstanding. It appears to demand the deportation of all people fleeing war and persecution who have no other option than to take irregular routes to reach safety here. Politicians must stop threatening people with the sort of hostile and extreme policies and rhetoric that only serve to inflame racial hatred and encourage violence on our streets.”
A Labour spokesman said: “The Tories had 14 years to reform immigration and asylum. They left an asylum system in chaos and our borders weaker. They failed to deport foreign national offenders and could’ve brought forward these measures during their time in office.
“This Labour Government is getting a grip on the system. We’ve removed nearly 19,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other immigration offenders since last year’s election, with removals of FNOs up by 21%. After 14 years of Tory chaos, our returns system is beginning to work firmly, fairly, and swiftly again.”
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