Foreign Criminals Get Large Sum of Money from UK Border Agency

It has just been confirmed that foreign criminals have just won £500,000 in compensation for being kept in custody beyond their release date. These prisoners were held while the government was considering whether to deport them or not. Experts point out that this is a perfect example of just how slow the government moves on these matters, and this time it cost them.

Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, told MPs that, between April 2008 and June of this year, the UK Border Agency has paid out £498,897.21 for keeping prisoners longer than what they were suppose to. However, he could not disclose how many prisoners were involved in this number.

The justice secretary, Dominic Grieve, said that the public will rightly be shocked to learn how the government is failing to deport foreign prisoners, and taxpayers are paying the price for it. The immigration minister, Phil Woolas, said that their priority is to protect the public, and they believe foreign lawbreakers who have committed serious offenses should be sent home at the earliest opportunity and not be kept in the UK.

He went on to say that they do not apologize at all for their tough system. However, the government does admit that quicker choices have to be made. Many people do not understand, though, why the UK would want to keep these men in the country at all.

The UK Border Agency will hopefully come up with some new ways to get these men in and out of the UK quicker. People seem to agree that men that are criminals should be removed as quickly as possible.