Huge petition to deport all foreign criminals from UK passes major milestone
The petition has more than 15,000 signatures (Image: Getty)
A petition calling for all foreign-born criminals and people on the UK’s terror watchlist to be deported has passed 15,000 signatures, renewing debate over immigration enforcement, public safety and the Government’s approach to removing foreign national offenders.
The petition, created by Alexander Bhagat in April, had attracted more than 15,000 signatures by October 2026. The Government has already issued an official response after the petition passed the 10,000-signature threshold, while the campaign remains open until October 27. It would need 100,000 signatures to be considered for a debate in Parliament. (UK Parliament petitions)
The campaign calls for the immediate deportation of foreign-born people convicted of crimes and individuals on the terror watchlist to their countries of origin. Its wording argues that British taxpayers should not have to pay to accommodate them and that the public should not have to live alongside people considered dangerous.
However, the proposal covers several legally distinct groups. A foreign national convicted of a serious offence, someone who has completed a prison sentence, a person whose immigration status is unlawful and an individual flagged by security services are not automatically subject to the same legal process.
The Government says it is determined to deport foreign national offenders, but existing legislation contains conditions and exceptions that must be considered in individual cases.
Government responds as petition passes major milestone
The Home Office responded to the petition on May 22, stating: “The Government is determined to deport all foreign national offenders.”
The department said deportation would be used against foreign national offenders and other people whose removal was considered conducive to the public good. It also pointed to the legal framework governing deportation, including the UK Borders Act 2007 and the Immigration Act 1971. (UK Parliament petitions)
Under the UK Borders Act 2007, the Home Secretary generally has a duty to make a deportation order for a qualifying foreign criminal who is not a British or Irish citizen and has received a prison sentence of at least 12 months. Since March 2026, changes introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026 have extended that duty to qualifying suspended sentences of 12 months or more.
The automatic deportation framework is nevertheless subject to statutory exceptions, including circumstances in which deportation would breach certain human rights obligations or the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention. (GOV.UK)
The Home Office also has powers to consider deportation in cases that fall outside the automatic threshold. Its guidance includes foreign nationals convicted of offences causing serious harm, persistent offenders and people considered to pose a threat to national security.
The Government’s response therefore signals support for deporting foreign criminals, but it does not promise that every person covered by the petition’s broad wording can legally be removed immediately.
What does the petition demand?
The petition calls for the deportation of foreign-born criminals and individuals currently on the terror watchlist, with removal to their countries of origin taking effect immediately.
Its central argument is that the British public should not bear the cost of accommodating people who have committed crimes or are considered security risks.
The campaign reflects public concerns about repeat offending, prison capacity, border security and the cost of immigration enforcement. But its proposal combines people with criminal convictions and people identified through security monitoring, categories that do not necessarily overlap.
A person appearing on a security watchlist may be subject to intelligence assessment or investigation without having been convicted of a criminal offence. Deportation decisions must therefore be based on the applicable immigration and security powers, the evidence available and any relevant legal restrictions.
The Home Office says it uses domestic and international watchlists to help detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, criminals, people previously deported or excluded from the UK, and individuals using lost, stolen or revoked travel documents. It works with law enforcement and other government agencies to determine appropriate action before travel or at the border. (UK Parliament petitions)
That is different from automatically deporting every person whose name appears on a watchlist.
Foreign national offender returns have increased
Official Home Office figures show that the Government has been returning foreign national offenders from the UK, although the totals are considerably different from the petition’s demand for universal and immediate deportation.
Between July 1, 2024, and July 31, 2026, a total of 11,733 foreign national offender returns were recorded. The figure includes both enforced and voluntary returns, so it should not be interpreted as the number of people forcibly deported. (GOV.UK)
Across all categories, the Home Office recorded 80,286 returns during that 25-month period, including 19,622 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK.
In the 12 months ending July 2026, there were 5,928 foreign national offender returns, an increase of 11% compared with the 5,363 recorded during the preceding 12-month period. The Home Office also recorded 3,141 early removal scheme returns involving foreign national offenders during that latest year. (GOV.UK)
These figures indicate that removals are taking place and have increased over the period measured. They do not, on their own, establish how many people who could legally be deported remain in the UK or how many cases are delayed by appeals, documentation problems or difficulties securing agreement from receiving countries.
The distinction between total immigration returns and foreign national offender returns is also important. The overall total includes people who have left voluntarily, people without lawful immigration status and other categories of return, not only convicted foreign criminals.
Why can deportation take time?
The petition’s demand for immediate removal raises practical and legal questions that the Government must address when considering individual cases.
Authorities may need to establish a person’s identity and nationality, obtain travel documents and secure acceptance by the destination country. Some individuals may challenge a deportation decision or make an asylum or human rights claim that must be assessed before removal can proceed.
The Home Office’s published guidance explains that the duty to deport under the UK Borders Act 2007 is subject to exceptions, including those relating to human rights and refugee protection. Where the automatic deportation threshold is not met, authorities may consider other legal grounds for removal. (GOV.UK)
That does not mean that every appeal or claim prevents deportation indefinitely. It means that the authorities must apply the relevant rules and determine whether removal is lawful in the circumstances of the case.
The process can also be affected by the willingness of another country to accept a return, the availability of identity documents and the individual’s personal circumstances.
For the Government, the challenge is to complete lawful removals efficiently while ensuring that decisions can withstand legal scrutiny.
Prison capacity adds to the political debate
The petition has emerged amid continuing debate about prison capacity and the treatment of foreign national offenders.
Foreign nationals make up a significant proportion of the prison population, but not everyone held in custody is eligible for immediate deportation. Some people are on remand awaiting trial or sentencing, while others are serving sentences and may have outstanding legal or immigration issues to resolve.
A Home Office factsheet published during the passage of the Sentencing Bill reported that 10,772 foreign national offenders were in prison on June 30, 2025. Of these, 3,781 were on remand and were not eligible for deportation under the measure described in that document. (GOV.UK)
The Government has also introduced changes intended to make eligible foreign national offenders available for removal earlier in their sentences and to extend the deportation duty to qualifying suspended sentences.
These measures form part of the wider effort to reduce pressure on prisons while enforcing immigration rules. However, deportation cannot simply replace the criminal justice process: a person’s sentence, eligibility for removal and the legal arrangements governing their case must all be taken into account.
The petition’s demand is therefore broader than the existing policy, which operates through defined statutory powers and individual decisions.
What happens when a petition reaches 100,000 signatures?
The petition is still open and is due to close on October 27, 2026. Its current signature total is more than 15,000, leaving it well short of the 100,000 signatures required for consideration for a parliamentary debate. (UK Parliament petitions)
Reaching 10,000 signatures triggers a Government response. Reaching 100,000 means the petition will be considered for a debate, but it does not guarantee that a debate will take place or that Parliament will adopt the proposal.
Nor does a petition automatically change immigration law. Any change to deportation policy would require the appropriate legal or policy action by the Government and, where necessary, Parliament.
Even so, the signature count provides a measure of the public interest in the issue. The petition’s continued growth could increase pressure on ministers to explain how they intend to handle foreign national offenders and people regarded as security risks.
A difficult balance between public safety and the law
The debate over deportation involves several competing priorities: protecting the public, enforcing criminal sentences, maintaining immigration controls and complying with legal obligations.
Supporters of tougher measures argue that foreign nationals who commit serious crimes should generally lose the right to remain in Britain, particularly where they pose an ongoing risk. They also question why taxpayers should continue to fund the detention or supervision of people who could lawfully be returned to another country.
Others emphasise that deportation decisions must be based on individual circumstances and that people cannot be removed unlawfully simply because a petition calls for a blanket policy.
The existing framework already gives the Home Secretary powers—and, in qualifying cases, a duty—to pursue deportation. The key questions are how consistently those powers are used, how quickly lawful decisions can be implemented and what barriers remain.
The official figures show that thousands of foreign national offenders have been returned, with returns increasing in the latest annual comparison. But those numbers do not establish that every person the petition identifies is eligible for immediate removal.
As the October 27 deadline approaches, the campaign faces a clear milestone of its own: reaching 100,000 signatures would bring the possibility of parliamentary debate into view, while leaving the Government’s legal responsibilities unchanged.
For now, the Home Office’s position remains that it is determined to deport foreign national offenders, subject to the applicable law. The petition has amplified calls for a tougher approach, but any move towards its demand for universal deportation would raise substantial questions about eligibility, evidence, security assessments and legal exceptions.
The central issue is no longer simply whether the Government supports deporting foreign criminals. It is how far existing powers can be applied, how effectively removals can be carried out and what changes—if any—would be needed to go further.