{"id":61,"date":"2025-10-02T20:42:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T19:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prisonersadvice.org.uk\/wordpress\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2026-04-09T14:28:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:28:32","slug":"prisoners-who-are-foreign-nationals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/prisonersadvice.org.uk\/wordpress\/prisoners-who-are-foreign-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"Prisoners Who Are Foreign Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Foreign nationals (non-UK passport holders) , currently make up 12% of the prison population. Their treatment in UK prisons is degrading compared to the rehabilitative opportunities that are prescribed for UK prisoners. Their experiences of imprisonment are characterised by, \u201cisolation, language barriers\u2026 no family contact, discrimination\u2026 limited understanding of the prison and criminal justice systems, and\u2026 problems linked to immigration-status, post-sentence detention, resettlement and deportation\u201d. (Banks, 2011)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All FNPs who have been sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 12 months or more are subject to automatic deportation from the UK unless they fall within defined exceptions. People contesting their deportation because they have family in the UK are no longer automatically granted legal aid and because of this, the demand for immigration advice from PAS continues to increase.  We give FNPs an equal voice by explaining their rights, providing access to legal advice, increasing their understanding of UK law and encouraging them to assert their rights whilst incarcerated here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PAS holds level three accreditation by the <\/a>Immigration Advice Authority<\/a> and can assist FNPs with issues of detention or deportation. Our work helps to clarify and resolve prisoners\u2019 immigration statuses and explains to them their associated legal, human and healthcare rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025-26, 19% of callers to the Advice Line, 14% of letter-writers and 13% of Outreach Clinic attendees were foreign nationals. PAS\u2019 Outreach Caseworker delivered seven dedicated Outreach Clinics in HMP’s Huntercombe and Maidstone, which houses entirely FNPs, seeing 72 one-to-one.\u00a0 Three end-to-end legal cases were opened on behalf of FNPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Links & Resources<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PAS Information Sheets<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n