Denmark’s immigration ministry says it wants to extend a scheme enabling it to deport foreign nationals convicted of crimes before they have completed their sentences in Denmark.

Direct deportation or so-called straksudsendelse of foreign nationals convicted of certain crimes in Denmark could be broadened by the government in a move it says will save resources in the country’s prison system.

The existing scheme can be applied to people serving prison sentences of up to four months. The government wants to extend it to year-long sentences.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Ministry of Immigration and Integration said it wanted to extend an existing trial scheme for immediate deportations based on “good experiences”.

The scheme, introduced in 2021, has seen around 370 foreign nationals deported directly from prisons instead of waiting until their sentences are complete before the deportation process begins, according to the ministry’s own figures.

That means the number of foreign nationals serving sentences in Danish prisons has declined since the introduction of the scheme, the ministry said.

Crimes for which the individuals are serving prison time include theft, document fraud, and possession of narcotics, according to the statement.

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Some types of crime, including rape and gang related crimes, are not eligible for direct deportation, because the convicted person must first complete their sentence.

READ ALSO: What happens when a foreigner gets arrested in Denmark?

Direct deportation means that the prison sentence is permanently ended by the deportation of the prisoner, thereby shortening the time served. This only happens once the deportation is completed.

Foreign nationals given unconditional prison sentences of up to four months alongside deportation with a ban against their return can be directly deported from Denmark, under the existing rules. This also applies to persons given unconditional prison sentences for not complying with house arrest or other obligations to report their whereabouts.

The government plans to propose a law change which will extend this arrangement so that direct deportation can be used for sentences up to a year.

“We can see the scheme is working particularly well. It gets criminal foreigners out of the country and saves space in prisons,” Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek said in the statement.

“With all those benefits, I can’t see any good reason not to extend the scheme and hope parliament will support it,” he added.

Acceptance of the proposal could see the extended rules take effect by June 1st this year.