Three Guantanamo inmates who are British residents will be released under an agreement between Britain and the United States, their lawyer said.
Jamil El Banna of Jordan, Omar Deghayes of Libya and Abdenour Sameur of Algeria are expected to be returned to Britain shortly and are not expected remain in custody there, said Zachary Katznelson, a lawyer with the British organisation Reprieve that represents the three men.
He was not able to say when the release would happen.
"I can confirm to you that the British government has reached an agreement with the Americans that the men will be repatriated to England, where they are all legal permanent residents. They actually all got asylum from their home countries," he said.
Mr Katznelson said Britain initiated the agreement.
Pentagon spokesman J.D. Gordon said he was unable to confirm the deal, but noted Washington has been trying to transfer some prisoners. "We've been hard at work with the international community for quite some time to encourage other government to accept detainees held at Guantanamo in order to reduce the population there," Gordon said.
The United States has faced fierce criticism worldwide for the detention without charge - often for years - of suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban members at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.