Foreign killer pledge 'a sham'

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A pledge to deport foreign criminals has been denounced as "a sham" by the Tories, after they learned three convicted murderers remained in the UK.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw revealed the three men - from India, Pakistan and the Republic of Ireland - were not deported after leaving prison.

The Tories say ministers have failed in their duty to protect the public.

The government said thousands of former convicts had been deported, starting with those who "present the most risk".

In a written reply to a question from shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said that one of the three killers had been moved into a probation hostel. None of the three has been named.

The public will be shocked to learn that foreign murderers are being released here, rather than deported Dominic Grieve, Shadow Justice Secretary

Prime Minister Gordon Brown told Labour's annual conference in 2007 that any immigrant caught selling drugs or using guns would be thrown out of the UK.

And in this year's Building Britain's Future plan, he also promised automatic deportation for any foreign nationals sentenced to a year or more in jail.

Mr Grieve said: "Gordon Brown's pledge to deport foreign criminals has been exposed as a sham.

"The public will be shocked to learn that foreign murderers are being released here, rather than deported", he said.

Mr Grieve said there were "serious questions" that needed to be answered by Jack Straw and Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

Mr Grieve said the pressing questions related to the three criminals: "Why were they released and not deported? Why was only one of the three released into secure premises? Have any now re-offended since their release in 2007?

"And how many more foreign nationals convicted of homicide or serious violent offences are walking our streets?"

'Risk assessed'

In his written Parliamentary answer to the Conservatives, Mr Straw said: "None of the offenders was subject to deportation or, therefore, taken into UK Border Agency custody.

"One of the three was released into approved premises; the other two were released into alternative accommodation, which had been risk-assessed by the probation service."

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Government's priority is to protect public safety and we have made it clear that we will prioritise those foreign national prisoners who present the most risk of harm to the public.

"Last year we sent home a record 5,395 foreign national prisoners including over 50 killers and attempted killers, over 200 sex offenders and more than 1,500 drug offenders."