Massive Asylum Scandal Erupts: Foreign Criminals Who Can’t Be Deported Given Free Homes

Taxpayers are footing the bill for housing thousands of foreign criminals in the UK because, according to insiders, many of them will “never” be deported. That’s the shocking revelation from the Daily Express, which uncovered how a lack of international return agreements is allowing convicted offenders to stay in the country—often indefinitely.

The situation was laid bare in a no-holds-barred submission to Parliament by Serco, the company responsible for a large chunk of the UK’s asylum accommodation. They told MPs that due to a lack of deportation options, Foreign National Offenders (FNOs), including those tagged under curfew schemes, are being placed into standard asylum housing after serving their prison sentences, reported the Express.

“Whilst in theory FNOs who have served their sentence should be transferred to Immigration Removal Centres to await deportation, a lack of returns agreements with certain countries means their nationals will never be deported,” Serco stated. “These individuals are therefore transferred to asylum accommodation on an indefinite basis.”

It’s not just a one-off issue either — this has been standard practice for some time. According to the latest figures from the Home Office, more than 18,000 foreign criminals were living freely in the community as of September. And with over 38,000 migrants housed in hotels — costing the taxpayer a jaw-dropping £5.5 million every single day — it’s easy to see why pressure is mounting.

The National Audit Office says hotels come in at £145 per person per night, compared to just £14 for other forms of housing like flats or bedsits. And yet, cheaper and potentially more sensible alternatives, including medium-sized sites and student housing conversions, have reportedly been rejected by the Home Office Property Board for being too costly — ironically, despite actually saving money compared to hotel stays.

Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, didn’t hold back, calling the current approach a national embarrassment. “There should not be a single foreign criminal in Britain,” he said. “If a country won’t take back its convicts, they should face tough sanctions. Restrictions on tourist visas, remittance taxes, trade limits — all of it. The British public is fed up with being the world’s dustbin for criminals.”

He added, “Violent thugs, sexual offenders and drug dealers are all free to continue plaguing our nation and its communities. The UK is a soft touch, laughed at around the world. Enough is enough.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp echoed those concerns, saying too many offenders are dodging deportation through “spurious human rights claims.” He cited one case involving a Zimbabwean paedophile who successfully blocked deportation on the grounds he might face “hostility” back home.

Philp argued it was time to scrap parts of the Human Rights Act when it comes to immigration cases. “Predictably, Labour MPs voted against it,” he said, “but we’ll be trying again. These dangerous criminals all need to be kicked out for the safety of the British public.”

As the crisis drags on, proposed housing reforms have repeatedly hit dead ends — something that could seriously undermine Labour’s pledge to close migrant hotels.