Home Office deports more than 500 foreign criminals including sex offenders, drugs dealers and human traffickers who have been jailed for more than 337 years – including more than 100 Albanians

• Total of 533 people returned, including 105 Albanians in three separate flights 
• Foreign offenders included sex criminals jailed for more than 337 years in total
• Out of 300 people who had no right to remain in the UK, three were Albanians 

More than 500 foreign criminals and immigration offenders have been removed from the UK this month, the Home Office announced today. 

In total, 533 people were returned, including 105 Albanians in three separate flights, 26 Romanians and nine Zimbabweans.  

The foreign national offenders removed included violent and sexual offenders, drug dealers and people traffickers and had been jailed for more than 337 years in total. 

Out of the 300 people who had no right to remain in the UK, three were Albanians who entered the UK illegally, including one via a small boat. 

In total, 553 foreign criminals and immigration offenders were deported this month, new figures revealed. Out of the 300 people who had no right to remain, three were Albanians who entered the UK illegally, including one via a small boat (pic: migrants at Dover yesterday) 

Suella Braverman, the new Home Secretary, said: ‘We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who comes to the UK and breaks our laws.

‘Returning such a high number of dangerous criminals sends a clear message that they are not welcome here.

‘We are also clamping down on those who come here illegally, and I am exploring every avenue to accelerate their removal.’

The UK signed a ‘fast-track’ deportation agreement with Albania in 2021 following a rise in the number of Albanian criminals travelling to the UK. 

However, there is now confusion over the nature of the agreement, with UK Government lawyers recently revealing the measures will not apply to those who lodge asylum claims.

The details emerged in response to legal action by migrant charity Care4Calais, which is already involved in a separate challenge against the Government’s plan to hand asylum seekers a one-way ticket to Rwanda.

A letter to the charity’s solicitors from the Government legal department said of the Albania fast-track plans: ‘The arrangements do not apply to asylum seekers.’

The crossings resumed yesterday after weather put a five-day halt to people trafficking operations

It comes as Ms Braverman, who replaced Priti Patel earlier this month, continues to grapple with a surge in migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, with more than 32,000 this year alone. 

The crossings resumed yesterday after weather put a five-day halt to people trafficking operations. 

A group of people was brought to shore in Dover, Kent this morning following a small boat incident in the Channel, the world’s busiest shipping lane.

Migrants, including a small number of children, were wrapped in blue blankets and carrying their belongings in black bin bags as they walked through the Border Force compound in Dover.

This follows five days with no Channel crossings, likely due to poor weather.

Some 650 people crossed the Channel in 14 boats on Friday, September 23, bringing the year’s total to 32,308.

August 22 was the date with the highest number of people brought to the UK so far this year, with 1,295 people rescued in the Channel.

A total of 1,160 people were brought to shore on September 4, and 1,142 were rescued on September 22.

Suella Braverman, the new Home Secretary, said: ‘We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who comes to the UK and breaks our laws’

There have been 27,040 crossings since the announcement of the Rwanda deal by Ms Patel. 

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent about the Rwanda deal yesterday, Prime Minister Liz Truss said: ‘We are (sticking with the Rwanda policy) and what we will make sure is that UK courts can’t be overruled by the European Court of Human Rights so we are able to deal with the small boats crisis, and the Home Secretary is determined to get on with that.’

Dover MP Natalie Elphicke has said: ‘With these shocking record numbers of illegal crossings, getting the small boats crisis under control should be a key priority.

‘With the approach of Winter, the seas will get rougher and the weather colder- inevitably the risk of further loss of life will increase. 

‘That’s why urgent action is needed to stop these dangerous crossings.’

Border Force vessels are now using a newly constructed docking station in an area of the port which was a former jetfoil terminal away from public areas. 

A large fence has also been put up to screen the area off from the public.   

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