Murderers and rapists among 250 foreign criminals allowed to avoid deportation

Published on 23/07/2012 01:10

THE Home Office allowed 250 foreign criminals, who should have been deported at the end of their prison sentences, to stay in the UK – without their cases being considered by a court, it has emerged.

At least one terrorist, up to eight killers and rapists, 20 robbers and eight paedophiles were given permission to stay last year without a judge deciding their fate, according to a Sunday newspaper. Instead, the Home Office accepted that deporting them would be a breach or their human rights.

Numbers of such cases rose from 56 in 2008 to 250 last year.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: “There is no point in wasting taxpayers’ money contesting cases where we were advised we would lose.”