We strongly oppose the Ministry of Justice’s new policy, announced yesterday, to deport migrants convicted of criminal offences after serving just 30% of their sentence.
As a specialist organisation working with Black and minoritised migrant women in contact with the criminal justice and immigration systems, we witness daily the devastating impact of deportation, and the conflation of these systems, on their lives and on the lives of those around them. Many of the women we support are criminalised as a direct result of being subjected to violence against women and girls, trafficking and modern slavery. By speeding up deportation, this policy will drastically reduce the time available for these women to access legal advice, support and appeal options. We are clear that this will result in the deportation of victim/survivors of VAWG and human trafficking who may have the right to claim asylum or leave to remain, denying them their rights and exposing them to further harm re-victimisation.
As recognised in the Independent Sentencing Review, addressing the root causes of offending, including poverty, inequality and lack of support for those experiencing mental health problems and trauma, is essential to sustainably reduce prison overcrowding. These problems are magnified for those experiencing intersectional discrimination and marginalisation, particularly Black and minoritised migrant women.
The scapegoating of migrants, dehumanising them as simply ‘cells to free’, cannot be presented as a solution to a crisis caused by the long-standing prioritisation of punitive, ‘tough on crime’ policies. This approach is not only ineffective at reducing crime but ignores the deeper problems: decades of underinvestment in social support, mental health services and access to safe housing. We know that this has had and continues to have a disproportionate impact on Black and minoritised migrant women, who are simultaneously overrepresented at every stage in the criminal justice system and often unable to access the support needed for recovery and rehabilitation. By portraying migrants as the problem, these proposals feed a harmful narrative that fuels racism and division.
We urge the government to thoroughly consider the impact of this policy. Meaningful change in the criminal justice system requires bold, evidence-based reform, not targeting migrant communities in a misguided attempt to appear to be taking action on the prison crisis. This policy is blatantly designed to serve political optics, not the public interest; in reality, it only places those most in need at even greater risk.
For more information, please contact: elizabeth@hibiscus.org.uk