Extradition

Extradition is the process of fetching a defendant from another country for trial. If a foreign country issues an arrest warrant for your extradition to face criminal charges abroad, a District Judge at a hearing in a magistrates' court will decide whether you should be extradited.

Many factors are taken into account. Extradition depends on treaties with other governments as well as the law of the UK, so the outcome may depend on which country wants to extradite you. You are less likely to be extradited to a country where the judge thinks you may not have a fair trial.

If you are extradited to the UK from another country, you will be dealt with under the ordinary procedures of the criminal law once you arrive here. 

Deportation

Deportation means expelling a person from the UK, normally after the person has served a sentence for a criminal offence.

• British citizens cannot be deported, but others may be if they are convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment.

• The power to deport EU citizens, in particular workers and their families, is very restricted unless they are likely to do serious harm if they stay in the UK.