‘Deport Now, Appeal Later’: UK Adds India to Fast-Track Removal List for Foreign Offenders

India has been added to the United Kingdom’s expanded “Deport Now, Appeal Later” list, which now covers 23 countries and allows foreign criminals to be deported before challenging the decision in court.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the move ends years of offenders “exploiting our immigration system” to stay in the UK while appeals drag on. “Those who commit crimes here cannot be allowed to manipulate the system,” she said.

The expanded list — which already included Finland, Nigeria, Estonia, Albania, Belize, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Kosovo — now also features Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda, and Zambia.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK is negotiating with more countries to join the scheme, which he said will ease the taxpayer burden by ensuring offenders can appeal “safely from their home country.”

According to the Home Office, about 5,200 foreign nationals have been deported since July 2024, up 14% from last year. Foreign offenders account for roughly 12% of the UK’s prison population, with annual costs of about £54,000 per inmate.