CASH FOR CRIMINALS: Luxury Lessons Fuel Taxpayer Fury Over Deportee Perks

UK taxpayers are funding an extensive array of amenities and a controversial cash-for-return scheme for convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) and migrants detained before being sent back to their own countries. The benefits are provided through a massive £260 million government contract, leading to fierce criticism over the use of public funds for criminals.

Five-Star Treatment Before Flight

Foreign nationals and criminals awaiting deportation at the Brook House and Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) near Gatwick Airport are being offered a surprising list of perks under a lucrative eight-year contract with private services company Serco.

The facilities are mandated by the contract and include a focus on "welfare" and "educational activities" for the detainees. These individuals, some of whom are FNOs transferred from prisons to serve the final part of their sentence before removal, have access to a regime that includes:

Arts and Education: Structured art classes, which involve sketching, crafts, and acrylic painting in "comfortable and pleasant" craft rooms, are provided. They also receive IT lessons and English language classes.

Leisure and Fitness: The centres offer free gym access, along with recreational facilities such as table tennis and pool tables. They are given access to a library stocking newspapers in different languages, religious texts, and e-books.

Welfare and Comfort: Detainees are assigned 'welfare buddies' for support, and the centres are required to ensure they have the means to prepare a hot beverage around the clock. They can also place orders for fresh produce and other items from the local store.

Earning Money and Cash Incentives

In addition to the provided facilities, detainees are afforded cash and opportunities to earn extra money while in the IRC. Every detainee receives a £5 per week allowance for spending. Furthermore, they are able to earn £1 an hour by carrying out work within the centre, which can involve duties such as serving food, cleaning, or assisting with the on-site gym management.

The most controversial financial benefit is reserved for convicted FNOs who are being deported:

£2,000 for Deportation: Footage recently showed serious foreign offenders, including killers and sexual abusers, being handed bank cards pre-loaded with up to £2,000 of taxpayer money. This is part of the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS), an incentive designed to encourage criminals to "voluntarily" cooperate with their early removal from the UK.

The Justification: While the payment has been widely condemned, the Home Secretary has defended the scheme, arguing that a "voluntary removal is actually cheaper for the British taxpayer" in the long run than protracted legal battles and continued incarceration or detention.

Political Outrage

The revelations have provoked a political backlash, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp expressing outrage that "Illegal immigrants should be on the first plane out, not getting art classes," and insisting that "Taxpayers' money is being wasted on this nonsense."

The Government maintains that the provision of certain amenities is necessary to comply with legal and ethical standards for detention and to ensure the orderly and safe process of removal, but the focus remains on deporting the thousands of foreign criminals currently straining the UK justice and detention systems.