Overview

• A rare ITV film from a night flight to Romania shows 47 foreign national offenders escorted by large security teams, with some restrained.
• Offenders were issued pre‑loaded bank cards worth up to £2,000 under the Facilitated Return Scheme intended to support reintegration.
• Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended the incentives as cheaper than contested removals and acknowledged the optics are difficult.
• A Freedom of Information response says the Home Office does not centrally record how much is paid out in such handouts, with one 47‑person flight equating to £94,000 if each received the maximum.
• While more than 5,000 foreign offenders were deported last year, opposition analysis warns current removal rates for some nationalities imply decades‑long timelines, and three slated passengers avoided the featured flight with last‑minute legal claims.