Jailed migrants could avoid deportation under 'watered down' sentencing laws, Tories claim
Hundreds of convicted migrants could avoid deportation each year after the 'watering down' of Sentencing Council guidelines, Robert Jenrick has warned.
The quango is said to have approved the 'lax' rules despite fears they will result in those convicted of immigration offences avoiding deportation.
Under the new guidelines, judges will be advised to give sentences of less than 12 months in prison for several.
Twelve months is the point at which convicted foreign nationals can face deportation. Mr Jenrick, the Tories ' justice spokesman, said 'watering down' the sentences meant hundreds of offenders would avoid the threshold for automatic deportation each year.
He added: 'The Justice Secretary's representative signed this off, and now our borders will be blown further open. The only people benefiting from this Labour Government are the trade unionists, criminals and illegal migrants.
'Sir Keir Starmer must accept my Bill to block these ludicrous guidelines and sack the members of the Sentencing Council responsible for yet more madness.'
It is the latest row over guidelines from the Sentencing Council after concerns special treatment was being given depending on age, sex and ethnicity of offenders.
The Conservatives said the council's proposals on four key immigration offences now advise judges to give sentences of less than 12 months, despite the maximum available being much higher.
The offence of knowingly entering the UK without permission carries a maximum custodial sentence of four years, but the council's guidelines say the starting point should be just six months.
The Sentencing Council said the guidelines reflected current sentencing practice for less serious offending while proposing higher sentences for the most serious cases. It added that they were only draft guidelines.
The Ministry of Justice said: 'This Government is committed to deporting eligible foreign national offenders as quickly as possible.'
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