Britain proposes deporting foreign criminals immediately upon conviction to address prison overcrowding.

The British government is planning to unveil a new scheme allowing for the deportation of foreign criminals immediately upon conviction, as part of its efforts to ease the burden on overcrowded prisons.

The plan primarily targets offenders convicted of crimes such as theft, drug trafficking, and assault, with sentences of less than three years, who will be deported "as soon as possible" instead of serving part of their sentence in the UK.

According to reports from "The Telegraph," the government is expected to announce these measures this week as part of a comprehensive review of the sentencing system, including scrapping the current law requiring foreign criminals to serve half their sentence before deportation.

Under the proposed amendments, ministers will be able to deport foreign prisoners after serving only 30% of their sentence, instead of the current 50%.

David Gauke, former Justice Secretary and head of the review, recommended granting the government broader powers to deport foreign criminals, including those with sentences longer than three years.

Gauke stated: "There is no place in our society for criminals who come to this country and break the law, but it is clear that the current system for deporting foreign criminals is not working. The taxpayer is footing the bill."

This proposal comes as there are over 10,000 foreign prisoners in the UK, representing about 12% of the total inmates, at an annual cost of up to £580 million. The new plan is expected to provide significant financial savings and alleviate prison overcrowding.

According to the proposal, deported criminals will not be allowed to return to the UK unless they are re-apprehended, in which case they will be immediately imprisoned to complete the remainder of their sentence.

A survey conducted by "YouGov" and involving 2300 individuals showed that 82% of participants support early deportation of foreign criminals to address the prison crisis, compared to 80% preferring the construction of new prisons, and 62% endorsing supervised release for low-risk offenders.

Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood expressed her support for the recommendations, considering them to have broad popular support. This move will also help appease some conservative demands for the deportation of all foreign prisoners without conditions.

Automatic deportation will not apply to criminals convicted of serious crimes such as murder, terrorism, or rape, as they will be subject to a Parole Board assessment before any decision. The Ministry of Justice is also working on arrangements with countries like Albania to deport high-risk prisoners to serve their sentences in their home countries.

The review also aims to amend laws to facilitate the deportation of foreign sex offenders, while restricting judges' powers to grant the right to remain for humanitarian reasons.

Any foreigner sentenced to more than a year in prison faces automatic deportation, while those with shorter sentences may be deported if they pose a threat to national security or commit serious crimes.

Other recommendations in the review include early release for well-behaved prisoners, replacing short-term sentences with community work, and expanding the use of electronic tags to create "digital prisons" outside traditional penal facilities.