India added to list of countries whose citizens can be deported from UK before appeal

LONDON: India is among 15 countries added to a list of eight whose nationals, when convicted of crimes in the UK, will no longer be able to delay their deportation by appealing against the decision to remove them. Under a “deport now, appeal later” initiative, they will be deported and have to take part in any hearing related to any appeal against deportation remotely from India via video link.Terrorists, murderers and those serving life sentences will continue to have to serve their prison sentence in Britain before being considered for deportation. Previously, offenders from the countries in question could remain in the UK for years while they appealed being deported under human rights laws.

Indians who are deported are barred from re-entering the UK. Once back in their home country, it is up to India whether they are sent to prison or freed. Until now, the UK could deport foreign criminals from eight countries without appeal in the UK — namely Finland, Nigeria, Estonia, Albania, Belize, Mauritius, Tanzania and Kosovo. The new countries added to the list are Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda and Zambia.

The UK govt is in continuous discussions with other countries about joining the scheme.There are currently 320 Indian nationals in jail in England and Wales as of June 30, 2025, of which 310 are men and 10 are women.Most foreign prisoners can be deported after serving 30% of their prison time in the UK.

But on Sunday the ministry of justice announced that the process of deporting foreign criminals will begin as soon as they are sentenced to prison as opposed to once they have served 30%.

This is subject to primary legislation being laid before Parliament.Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Our message is clear: if you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing.”There were 1,903 people deported from the UK to India in the first quarter of 2025, while 6,069 were deported last year. They included overstayers and failed asylum-seekers.