A petition to deport all foreign criminals from the UK has passed a major milestone. The online document, which was started in April by Alexander Bhagat, now has more than 15,000 signatures. The Government has responded to it as it has garnered more than 10,000. The petition reads: “Deport all foreign-born criminals and individuals currently on the terror watchlist to their countries of origin with effect immediately.

“We believe the British people do not need to pay for this, and in an ever-changing world, should not be subjected to having these people as neighbours.” The Home Office said in response: “The Government is determined to deport all foreign national offenders.

“Deportation will be used, against them and those whose deportation is otherwise considered to be conducive to the public good. The Government is clear foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them.

“Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months. This includes suspended sentences.

“This duty is subject to several exceptions, including where to do so would breach a person’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights or the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention. Where the threshold for deportation under the UK Borders Act 2007 is not met, deportation is considered under the Immigration Act 1971 on the ground it is conducive to the public good.

“This includes where a foreign national has a conviction for an offence that caused serious harm, if they are a persistent offender or if they pose a threat to national security. A deportation order prevents an individual from lawfully re-entering the UK whilst it remains in force.

“The Home Office uses various tools (including domestic and international watchlists) to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, criminals, those previously deported or excluded from the UK and individuals using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. The Home Office works with both law enforcement and wider government partners to ensure appropriate action is taken before travel or at the border when individuals of concern are identified.”

The petition closes on October 27. Reform UK said last week that it would deport foreign nationals in Britain’s jails to free up space as 700 prisoners were released. There were around 10,400 (3,588 remand, 6,458 sentenced and 441 non-criminal) held in custody as of March this year.

Huge Petition to Deport All Foreign Criminals from UK Passes Major Milestone

A petition calling for the deportation of foreign-born criminals and individuals on the terror watchlist has passed a significant milestone, reigniting debate over immigration enforcement, public safety and the rules governing who can remain in Britain.

The petition, launched by Alexander Bhagat in April 2026, had attracted more than 15,000 signatures by early October. It calls for foreign-born criminals and people on the terror watchlist to be deported to their countries of origin immediately. The campaign has also received a formal response from the Government after passing the 10,000-signature threshold.

The development comes as immigration remains a major political issue, with questions about border security, prison capacity, asylum procedures and the removal of foreign nationals convicted of crimes continuing to attract public attention.

For supporters of the petition, the principle is straightforward: people who are not British citizens and who commit serious crimes should face deportation wherever the law permits it. Others argue that any policy must distinguish between different cases, respect legal obligations and ensure that decisions are based on individual circumstances rather than a person’s birthplace alone.

Petition passes 15,000 signatures

The petition calls on the Government to deport foreign-born criminals and individuals on the terror watchlist to their countries of origin. Its growing signature count demonstrates that the issue has attracted attention beyond the usual political debate about immigration.

Under the UK Parliament’s e-petition system, a petition that reaches 10,000 signatures receives a Government response. Reaching 100,000 signatures means it will be considered by Parliament’s Petitions Committee for a possible debate, although a debate is not guaranteed.

The petition remains open until 27 October 2026. Its progress will therefore be watched by campaigners who want the issue to receive further parliamentary attention.

However, a petition does not itself change the law or compel ministers to implement its demands. Its influence depends on the response from the Government, decisions by Parliament and whether policymakers choose to introduce changes.

The milestone nevertheless provides a visible measure of public engagement with the question of how Britain should deal with foreign nationals who commit offences.

What has the Government said?

In its response, the Home Office said the Government was determined to deport foreign national offenders and would use deportation where the law requires it or where removal is considered conducive to the public good.

The response also explained that existing legislation already provides for deportation in many cases.

Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must generally be made when a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months. The legal framework includes exceptions, including circumstances in which deportation would breach the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights or the Refugee Convention.

Where that statutory threshold is not met, deportation may still be considered under the Immigration Act 1971. Relevant considerations can include serious harm caused by an offence, persistent offending or a threat to national security.

The Government’s position is therefore that foreign national offenders can already be deported under existing law, while recognising that some cases are subject to legal restrictions.

The petition raises a broader question: whether the current framework is being applied quickly and consistently enough, and whether further changes are needed to improve enforcement.

Why foreign criminal deportations remain controversial

The issue has become a recurring feature of Britain’s immigration debate because it brings together two responsibilities that governments must balance: protecting the public and complying with the law.

Supporters of tougher enforcement argue that foreign nationals who commit serious offences should not ordinarily be allowed to remain in Britain once they have served their sentences, provided deportation is lawful. They contend that the public expects criminal convictions to have meaningful consequences and that immigration rules must be enforced in practice.

They also point to the potential costs associated with keeping foreign national offenders in the prison system, alongside the wider expenses of criminal justice and immigration enforcement.

Critics, however, caution against treating all cases as identical. The circumstances of an offence, a person’s immigration status, family relationships, protection claims and the risks they may face if returned can all be legally relevant.

Some foreign nationals may have lived in Britain for many years, while others may have entered recently. Some may be eligible for protection under international law, depending on their individual circumstances. These differences can affect whether deportation is lawful and how quickly it can be carried out.

The debate is therefore not simply about whether criminal offending should have consequences. It is also about how the Government should define those consequences and apply the rules fairly.

Deportation and prison capacity

Prison capacity has added another dimension to the argument.

Foreign nationals account for a portion of the prison population in England and Wales, although the figures include people in different circumstances, such as those on remand, those serving sentences and individuals held in custody for other reasons.

Campaigners who favour more deportations argue that removing eligible foreign national offenders could reduce pressure on prisons and make resources available for other parts of the criminal justice system.

But deportation cannot automatically replace imprisonment. A criminal sentence and a deportation decision serve different legal purposes, and an offender may still need to serve a sentence before removal can take place. In other cases, legal challenges, difficulties confirming nationality or a lack of cooperation from the receiving country can delay deportation.

A credible policy would therefore need to address both the legal process and the practical arrangements required to return individuals to another country.

Ministers would also need to demonstrate that any proposed changes produce measurable results rather than merely shifting costs between the prison system and immigration enforcement.

The challenge of making removals faster

Even where a person is eligible for deportation, completing the process can be complicated.

Authorities may need to confirm the individual’s identity and nationality, obtain travel documents, arrange transport and secure cooperation from the receiving country. If a person challenges the decision on legal grounds, officials may also have to wait for the relevant proceedings to conclude.

These difficulties are not unique to Britain. International removals depend on cooperation between governments, and a receiving country may dispute a person’s nationality or refuse to issue the documents required for travel.

The Government has argued that stronger enforcement and additional operational capacity can help improve removal rates. The wider challenge is to make the process faster without undermining legal safeguards or producing decisions that later have to be reversed.

For campaigners, the key measure is not simply the number of deportation orders issued. It is how many removals are actually completed, how long they take and whether the system can prevent people who pose a serious risk from remaining in Britain unlawfully.

What about people on the terror watchlist?

The petition also calls for the deportation of individuals on the terror watchlist, bringing national security into the discussion.

The Home Office says it uses domestic and international watchlists, alongside cooperation with law enforcement and other government bodies, to identify and disrupt travel by people considered a concern. Such measures can include checks involving individuals previously deported or excluded from Britain and people using invalid or revoked travel documents.

However, appearing on a watchlist does not necessarily mean that a person has been convicted of a criminal offence. Watchlists can be used for different operational purposes, and the information held about an individual may vary.

Any deportation decision must therefore be based on the applicable legal powers and the evidence and circumstances of the case. National security concerns can be highly significant, but they do not remove the need to establish that the proposed action is lawful.

This distinction matters because the petition combines two categories—foreign-born criminals and people on a terror watchlist—that may overlap but are not legally identical.

The wider immigration debate

The petition’s growth comes amid continued political disagreement over how Britain should manage immigration and enforce its borders.

For some voters, the question of foreign national offenders is closely linked to wider concerns about irregular migration, asylum accommodation and confidence in the immigration system. They argue that the Government must show that its rules are enforceable and that people who have no legal right to remain are removed when the law permits.

Others argue that the debate should avoid conflating criminal convictions with immigration status. Most questions about an individual’s right to remain depend on the relevant legal circumstances, and a policy focused on serious offending must distinguish between people convicted of crimes and people who have committed no offence.

The challenge for ministers is to demonstrate that immigration enforcement is effective while communicating clearly how decisions are made, which safeguards apply and why some removals cannot take place immediately.

Greater transparency about deportation figures, processing times and the reasons for delays could help the public assess whether the existing system is working.

What happens next?

The petition’s next significant target is 100,000 signatures. If it reaches that number, it will be considered by Parliament’s Petitions Committee for a possible debate. The committee can decide whether a debate is appropriate, but the threshold does not guarantee one.

Even if a debate takes place, it would not automatically require the Government to adopt the petition’s demands. Any changes to legislation or enforcement policy would still require decisions by ministers and, where relevant, Parliament.

The Government has already stated that it is committed to deporting foreign national offenders within the existing legal framework. Campaigners will now be looking for evidence that this commitment translates into faster and more consistent action.

The petition also raises questions about whether the public would support a broader change in the law, how such a change could be implemented and how it would interact with Britain’s domestic and international obligations.

A milestone, but not yet a change in policy

Passing 15,000 signatures gives the campaign a clear milestone, but the petition remains a call for action rather than a new legal requirement.

The central debate is whether Britain should strengthen its approach to deporting foreign nationals who commit crimes, and if so, how far those changes should go. Supporters want a system in which deportation is pursued decisively whenever it is lawful. Others stress that effective enforcement must account for individual cases, legal rights and the practical realities of international removals.

As the petition remains open until 27 October, its signature count may continue to grow. Whether that support leads to a parliamentary debate or further policy changes will depend on what happens next.

For now, the Government’s response makes one point clear: deportation powers already exist, but their application is subject to statutory rules and legal exceptions. The question facing policymakers is how to make the system effective, consistent and publicly accountable while ensuring that every decision remains within the law.