FOREIGN prisoners are being offered £3,000 to leave Britain, the Government admitted yesterday.
The standard financial reintegration package is £800, but the higher offer has been introduced as the jail population hits record levels.
The enhanced incentive is available until the end of next month, says Darlington's Northern Echo, once again leading the way on a news story.
Lin Homer, chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency, said: "We strongly believe foreign lawbreakers should be sent home at the earliest opportunity.
"Every day that we can get these individuals out of the country early saves our taxpayers over £100 a night.
"That's why we want to use the Facilitated Returns Scheme to get as many foreign criminals out of the UK as possible by extending last years scheme to last until April."
The standard scheme - announced by then Home Secretary John Reid in 2006 as a means of easing the prison overcrowding crisis - offers a package of up to £800 for help with education, training, housing and resettlement.
This is in addition to the £46 discharge grant which prisoners receive on leaving jail.
Anyone got any xenophobic suggestions for a quicker and more efficient way of dealing with foreign criminals? You do NOT have to be politically correct on this one but stay the right side of the law. Unless you want the £3,000 for re-introduction to the Lake District, New Forest, Wales, Devon and Cornwall, The Highlands anywhere out of London counts as elsewhere these days.
Is that Australia place still operating the £10 convicted felon transport scheme?