EU diplomats raise alarm over Britain’s early prison release plans

Britain is preparing to release thousands of prisoners early to ease overcrowding, prompting concern among some European governments over the possible return of foreign offenders with little or no advance warning.

Five EU diplomats told POLITICO that their countries were particularly worried about the policy. One diplomat said: “It’s very risky sending back criminals without any prior information.”

Britain is on course to release more than 2,500 offenders by the end of 2026, with another 700 due to be freed on October 1. From January 2027, the government will also remove the requirement for eligible foreign offenders to serve a minimum period in a British prison before being deported. Under the Sentencing Act 2026, eligible foreign national offenders can be removed for immediate deportation at any point after sentencing, subject to legal exclusions.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We will continue to engage with European partners on this issue. … The most serious offenders are excluded and, where there is evidence someone plans to commit future crimes, they will stay behind bars.”

EU diplomats said communication with British authorities had so far been limited. One told POLITICO: “[The U.K. government] keeps saying that they cannot inform us. There should be some sort of collegiality among police forces, to let us know they’re letting [someone] out. We should be warned.”

Prison reform campaigners said many foreign offenders would have faced deportation at the end of their sentences anyway, arguing the changes mainly bring forward the point at which removal can take place.

“It is up to the receiving country to decide if the prisoner should serve any prison time,” said Mark Day, deputy director at the Prison Reform Trust. “Some foreign nationals who are deported may not be required to serve any form of sentence. For others, the sentence served may be more punitive than the one they would have experienced in the U.K.”

Day said deportation remained subject to legal constraints, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the Refugee Convention.

Foreign nationals accounted for 12% of the UK prison population on June 30, 2026, with 10,134 foreign nationals held in custody. The largest groups included Albanians, Irish, Polish and Romanian nationals.

The dispute comes as London seeks to reset relations with the EU ahead of a planned summit later this year.

By Tamilla Hasanova