The new pact will mean quicker removals to Serbia and will help protect the UK’s borders and communities
A landmark agreement to return Serbian nationals who have no right to be in the UK, including foreign criminals, has been signed by Home Secretary Priti Patel today.
The new pact will mean swifter and quicker removals to Serbia and will help protect the UK’s borders and communities, in line with the Government’s New Plan for Immigration.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
The returns agreement was signed by the Home Secretary and Serbian Minister of Interior, Aleksandar Vulin, as part of his visit to London today (Wednesday 26 January).
It strengthens the UK’s ability to remove Serbian nationals who have no right to be in the UK. This includes failed asylum seekers, foreign national offenders, and individuals who have overstayed their visas.
This latest agreement follows the successful returns deal with Albania, signed by the Home Secretary in July last year. And in May 2021, the UK government signed a landmark migration agreement with India to support people coming to the UK through legal routes, while strengthening the removal of those with no right to be in the UK.
Since 2019, the UK has successfully returned 9,286 foreign national offenders from prisons, immigration removal centres and the community, delivering on the Government’s promise to tackle illegal immigration and the harm it causes.