Britain Releases 151 Foreign Criminals Without Deportation Since 2009

MOSCOW, January 20 (Sputnik), Ekaterina Blinova — Almost 151 foreign criminals were released "without consideration for deportation" in the UK between 2009 and 2014, British MPs have found out.

"Scores of foreign violent criminals and sex offenders have been released from prisons straight onto the country's streets by the Home Office without even trying to deport them," the Telegraph reported.

The media outlet emphasizes that of the foreign thugs who were released, 45 had been imprisoned for dealing drugs, 19 for robbery, six for fraud, two for sexual assault, one for harassment and six for "unspecified sexual offences." Currently ten of them remain at large including five accused of selling drugs and one for "Actual or Grievous Bodily Harm."

It should be noted that in accordance with Home Office rules, after serving their terms foreign convicts should be deported to their homelands from the UK.

Meanwhile, a separate report released on Tuesday, January 20, indicated that one in six of the 4,247 foreign criminals released and pending deportation had snuck away. However, the Home Office has failed to provide any information regarding these 758 thugs. It still remain unclear whether they have been recently involved in criminal activity in the country.

Furthermore, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee also exposed that 229 criminals were paid £6.2million ($9.4 million) compensation because of deportation delays.

The Telegraph notes that the embarrassing exposure is "politically very dangerous" for Theresa May, the current Home Secretary.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow Home Secretary, blasted Mrs. May's Home Office for evident failure and incompetence.

"Previous Home Secretaries have resigned over this kind of thing. Yet time and again Theresa May just hides and blames everyone else. A shocking 750 criminals who were supposed to be deported — including rapists and violent offenders — have gone missing in Britain and the Home Office hasn't a clue where they are," she said as quoted by the media outlet.

Keith Vaz, the Labour chairman of the Home Affairs select committee, also slammed the Home Secretary: "It is unbelievable that the Home Office did not consider for deportation foreign national prisoners who have been convicted of such serious offences."

The Telegraph underscores, citing James Brokenshire, Immigration and Security Minister, that deportation rules for foreign criminals have been toughened recently in the UK.