As part of the latest immigration laws unfurled by the home secretary, ministers will be given powers to exclude or deport foreign criminals who have received prison sentences of more than a year, according to the Daily Telegraph. The newspaper also notes that officials will reportedly be able to bar persistent offenders such as pickpockets and burglars, even if they have been sentenced to less than a year.
Under the current rules, convicted criminals from the bloc can only be excluded on a case-by-case basis. The new immigration system, will come into effect on January 1, is designed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering Britain from the beginning of next year, but aims to make it easier for higher-skilled workers to get UK visas.
The change would mean criminals from the European Union are treated the same as currently happens to those from non-EU countries.
