UK Government removes 15 dangerous foreign criminals to Lithuania

The removal flight was conducted in conjunction with the Lithuanian government and forms part of a regular schedule of returns flights to multiple countries, to remove those with no right to remain in the UK.

Last week saw the enforced removal of 54 people from the UK – including foreign national offenders convicted of crimes including firearms and drug offences, assault of an emergency worker and theft, with combined sentences of over 56 years.

Individuals returned on today’s flight included: 

A convicted murderer sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

An individual convicted of fraud and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

An individual convicted of robbery and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:  “These individuals are responsible for some of the most appalling crimes, including murder and assault. They have violated our laws and values and have left their victims living with the scars of the crimes that they committed.

“The British public should be in no doubt of my determination to remove these criminals to protect both the victims of their crimes and the public. The Government use every means to continue to remove foreign nationals who have committed crimes against our citizens.

“This week the first group of illegal migrants with no right to be in the UK have been informed of our intention to relocate them to Rwanda under the new Migration and Economic Development Partnership.”

The Home Office regularly removes immigration offenders, dangerous foreign criminals and those with no right to be in the UK, as part of its plans crack down on illegal migration, protect UK borders and keep the public safe.    

In April 2022, 233 people were removed from the UK including:

Five people convicted of murder sentenced to a combined 37 years and six months.

11 convicted of rape, including one for the rape of a minor, sentenced to a combined 83 years and three months.

78 convicted of drugs offences, sentenced to a combined 208 years and four months.

Since March 2021 more than 10,000 people have been removed by both scheduled and charter flights, with 78 flights chartered to 13 different countries.

The Home Office uses chartered and scheduled flights to remove failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders.    

Failed asylum seekers, illegal entrants to the UK and foreign national offenders are also removed on scheduled flights and via voluntary returns.  

The Nationality and Borders Act has introduced a one-stop process for asylum claims, meaning individuals will no longer be able to cynically exploit legal loopholes to disrupt their removal from the UK.