Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has proposed renting prison spaces in El Salvador to deport all foreign nationals currently serving custodial sentences in British jails.

 

Reform UK wants to send prisoners to El Salvador

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has proposed renting prison spaces in El Salvador to deport all foreign nationals currently serving custodial sentences in British jails. Under the newly unveiled justice policy, foreign criminals who cannot be sent back to their country of origin would be transferred to third-party nations. The proposal is designed to address the UK's prison overcrowding crisis and eliminate the Labour government's early release scheme.

Key Details of the Proposal

• Target Group: All 10,000+ foreign national offenders serving time in England and Wales.
• Primary Partner: El Salvador is named as a primary destination, with Reform UK planning to send a delegation—including party chairman Lee Anderson—to negotiate initial terms.
• Alternative Locations: The party also identified Kosovo, Estonia, and Lithuania as potential partner options.
• Cost Efficiency: Reform UK claims that housing an inmate in El Salvador would cost half the price of keeping them in a UK facility.
• Post-Sentence Terms: Once sentences are completed overseas, the offenders would be permanently banned from entering the UK.

Wider Justice Strategy

The El Salvador proposal is part of a broader justice package announced by Reform UK. Along with foreign deportations, the party has pledged to build 12,000 temporary "Nightingale" prison places within the UK. These measures aim to ensure that individuals convicted of serious offenses, such as murder, rape, and severe violence, serve their full sentences without the possibility of early release or early parole.

Reactions and Criticism

The policy has drawn sharp criticism from opposing political groups and human rights organizations:

• The Labour Party dismissed the proposal as unrealistic, stating it does nothing for the immediate crisis because arranging overseas prison rentals would take years.
• Human Rights Advocates, including Amnesty International UK, condemned the plan. They highlighted El Salvador's well-documented record of severe prison overcrowding, arbitrary detentions, and systemic human rights abuses