Foreign National Prisoners Cost UK Taxpayers £600 Million a Year
LONDON,i-The UK government is spending more than £600 million annually to house over 11,000 foreign national prisoners, according to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Justice.
As of 30 June 2025, the total UK prison population stood at 87,334, with 11,153 of those — 12.77% — being non-British nationals. With the annual cost per prisoner averaging £53,801, foreign inmates are placing a significant strain on the justice system’s budget.
Albania Tops List of Costliest Foreign Prisoners
Albanian nationals make up the largest group of foreign inmates, numbering 1,193, and are the most expensive to incarcerate, costing the UK taxpayer £64.2 million per year.
The top 10 most expensive foreign nationalities in UK prisons, along with their populations and associated annual costs, are:
| Nationality | Prison Population | Annual Cost (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Albanian | 1,193 | 64,184,593 |
| Polish | 759 | 40,834,959 |
| Romanian | 716 | 38,521,516 |
| Irish | 707 | 38,037,307 |
| Lithuanian | 339 | 18,238,539 |
| Jamaican | 338 | 18,184,738 |
| Indian | 320 | 17,216,320 |
| Pakistani | 317 | 17,054,917 |
| Portuguese | 297 | 15,978,897 |
| Iraqi | 287 | 15,440,887 |
These ten nationalities alone account for 6,273 prisoners and a combined cost of over £283 million annually—nearly half of the total cost for all foreign national inmates.
Broader Cost of Foreign Prisoners
The total cost to imprison all non-British nationals is calculated at £600,042,553 per year, a figure raising questions about immigration enforcement and prisoner repatriation agreements.
With calls mounting from lawmakers and the public to reduce this burden, the Home Office has reiterated its commitment to speeding up deportations and increasing the number of prisoner transfer agreements.
A Growing Debate
Critics argue the current system is both financially unsustainable and inefficient, with deportation processes often delayed by legal challenges or lack of bilateral agreements. Meanwhile, justice reform advocates warn against using cost figures to justify harsh immigration crackdowns.
As the UK continues to grapple with rising prison costs, today’s figures may add urgency to long-standing demands for more effective immigration control and international cooperation on prisoner transfers