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<p>The Government is committed to a fair and humane immigration policy that welcomes
those here legally, but tackles abuse and protects the public.</p><p>We make every
effort to ensure that a foreign national offender’s (FNO) removal by deportation coincides,
as far as possible, with their release from prison on completion of sentence. Detention
plays a crucial role in enabling the removal of FNOs and those who are here illegally.</p><p>
</p><p>Published Home Office policy, <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1046288/Detention_General_instructions.pdf"
target="_blank">Detention General instructions (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a>, is
clear that immigration detention must be used sparingly and for the shortest period
necessary. Where the Home Office intends to detain a time-served FNO under immigration
powers at the end of their custodial sentence, detention notices are served in advance
of this date, subject to certain exceptions. A timely risk assessment is also carried,
out in line with <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992285/detention-general-instructions-v1.0.pdf"
target="_blank">published guidance</a>, which reviews the suitability of the FNOs
transfer to the immigration removal estate.</p><p> </p><p>Foreign national offenders
held in detention have the option to apply to an independent immigration judge for
bail at any point. Once a person is in detention, regular reviews are undertaken to
ensure that their detention remains lawful, appropriate and proportionate. We do not
detain people indefinitely.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office publishes data on people
in immigration detention in the ‘<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release"
target="_blank">Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release</a>’. The number of people
in detention on the last day of each quarter are published in table Det_D02 of the
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets"
target="_blank">Detention detailed datasets</a>. The data include those detained under
immigration powers in HM prisons from July 2017 and can be broken down by place of
detention. The latest data relate to the number of people in detention at the end
of September 2021.</p>
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