Tennis legend Boris Becker could face deportation from UK after jail term is over: Report

Tennis legend Boris Becker will reportedly face face automatic deportation from the United Kingdom (UK) once he has completed his prison sentence for fraud. The three-time Wimbledon champion is currently serving time at the HMP Huntercombe, after being sentenced to two and a half years in prison, last April. He was found guilty of illicitly transferring large sums of money and hiding assets while declaring bankruptcy.

As reported by Express, the home office has confirmed that Becker will be deported from the country as a foreign national who has served jail time of 12 months or more. It should be noted that the 54-year-old was initially lodged at the Wandsworth Prison in South London, before being transferred to the HMP Huntercombe, Oxfordshire, in late May. 

Huntercombe is a prison commonly used to keep foreign offenders, which has also sparked speculations about Becker getting deported once released. A Home Office spokesperson recently shed light on the topic during a conversation with the Mirror. The source also confirmed that Becker is most likely to be sent back to Germany after his release. “Any foreign national convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity,” the spokesperson said.

More about the HMP Huntercombe prison

Becker was found guilty of hiding £2.5m in assets after declaring bankruptcy, which amounts to fraud. It is pertinent to mention that almost a decade ago, Becker received a suspended sentence of two years in prison for tax evasion and attempted tax invasion of around £1.4m in Germany. Interestingly, as per an inspection at the HMP Huntercombe, in 2017, 185 out of 197 men were deported from the country as soon as they were released from prison.

Boris Becker recently made headlines for facing heat from inmates

Becker recently found himself in the news for sparking outrage among his inmates over a ‘cushy’ prison job that he has been handed. He has been reportedly made a classroom assistant and is teaching sports science to his inmates. The job has resulted in Becker facing heat from the inmates as they feel Becker is receiving preferential treatment.

As reported by The Sun, one of the prisoners shed light on the matter and revealed that such jobs are usually given to people who have several years of time. “You would normally serve years before getting a job as a classroom assistant as it is seen as a privilege. But Becker has been given the job within weeks of being sentenced. There is a lot of resentment about it and the families of some prisoners have written letters of complaint,” the inmate said.

Image: AP