London, Nov.23 (ANI): The British taxpayer is reportedly paying up millions of pounds a year to “bribe” foreign murderers, rapists and other prisoners to go home after a 60 per cent jump in cases, The Telegraph reports. One in four of the foreign criminals who were deported last year only went home after being offered a voluntary return package worth up to 5,000 pounds.

It means ministers spent 3.4 million pounds of public money encouraging offenders who have no right to be in Britain to leave. It emerged earlier this week that one of those was a Malaysian migrant who killed a 17-month-old baby.

Some foreign prisoners can already have up to nine months slashed from their sentence if they are willing to go home.

The Facilitated Returns Scheme was launched in October 2006 and encourages overseas offenders to return to their home country once they have passed the point they would be released if British. It is aimed at preventing lengthy and expensive legal battles against deportation.

Under a separate early removal scheme, foreign prisoners can be freed up to 270 days in advance of their release date so long as they are willing to return home. (ANI)