There is a real problem with cases where foreign criminals are allowed to stay, or our family rules are undermined, because of an over generous interpretation of Article 8 by the courts. The Government has consistently stated its belief that this is a qualified right and must be weighed against the public interest. I am in no doubt that it is in the public interest that foreign criminals are deported.
That is why, through the Immigration Act passed last year, the Government has made clear to the courts what the public interest requires and will ensure that when considering Article 8 in an immigration case, the court must regard the public interest. The Immigration Act makes it absolutely clear that the public interest requires the deportation of a foreign criminal. The Act also reforms the removals and appeals system, making it easier and quicker to remove those with no right to be here.
Under the current Government, checks on foreign national offenders have increased by more than 700 per cent, and since April 2014 over 61,000 such checks have been carried out. Through the successful implementation of Operation Nexus – a joint police and Home Office partnership – more than 3,300 people have been removed from the UK in less than three years, including 269 dangerous criminals.
We are pushing for further action on the issue of EU criminals. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has made clear to her colleagues at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council that existing EU mechanisms are not fully utilised by other EU member states to identify released offenders who continue to pose a public protection risk and who may travel across Europe.
By Patrick McLoughlin on October 15, 2015