At least 20 Nepalis are currently serving jail terms in England and Wales, according to data provided by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Chargé d’Affaires at the Nepali embassy in London Sharad Raj Aran told the Post that the British Foreign Ministry provided the data on the request of the embassy. “The ministry information shows that 20 Nepalis are serving prison sentences in various jails in England and Wales,” Aran said. “However, the ministry declined to give away more details citing the British law that prohibits providing personal information of the convicts without their consent.”

Meanwhile, the British government has come up with a scheme to encourage the illegally residing population in the UK to return back to their country. The UK Home Office has offered to provide free air ticket, money to start up a business and assistance in searching a good school for the children of the migrants in their home nation.

An estimated 1 million illegal immigrants are living in Britain, either having overstayed their visas or having smuggled themselves into the country.

However, Aran said that the embassy does not have an actual data regarding the number of Nepalis held at the Deportation Centre.

South-East England Immigration Compliance and Enforcement Team leader Richard Lederle, appearing on a spiritual guru’s television show Spiritual Live, informed the public about the Home Office’s new programme, the Daily Mail on Sunday reported.

But critics say the generous terms of the Voluntary Returns Scheme amounts to a bribe that sends out a message that “it is OK to be in the UK illegally”. “This looks like a bribe for people who have already committed a criminal act by being here illegally. And it could act as an incentive for more people to come illegally,” said Andrew Bridgen, a ruling Conservative party MP.