Labour has been forced into a major U-turn after relentless pressure from senior Conservatives, with the Government set to publish migrant crime league tables for the first time.
After heavy campaigning by Conservatives Robert Jenrick and Chris Philp, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has now ordered officials to release a detailed breakdown of the nationalities of foreign criminals living in the UK and the offences they have committed — a demand Labour ministers had previously resisted.
The landmark move is expected to expose the countries whose nationals are most frequently involved in serious crimes such as violence, robbery, theft and drug dealing while awaiting deportation from Britain.
It is understood that Ms Cooper was forced to overrule objections from her own civil servants — who had previously claimed the data was too complex to compile — and ordered the figures to be published by the end of the year.
Mr Jenrick, who led the charge, hailed the decision as a hard-won victory for transparency and public safety. “Following over a year of pressure from campaigners, including my own attempt to change the law, it appears that there’s been a breakthrough,” he said. “The British public deserve the truth about migrant crime and the costs of low-skilled immigration.”
Until now, ministers had refused to provide the data publicly, leaving newspapers like The Telegraph and independent campaigners to drag limited figures out of police forces via freedom of information requests.
But thanks to the Conservatives’ pressure campaign — and amid growing concern in traditional Labour heartlands about uncontrolled migration — the Labour Government has finally caved in.
The move comes just weeks before crucial local elections, and many will see it as a desperate attempt by Labour to undercut Reform UK and fend off mounting criticism from the Tory Right.
Sources say the new data will shine a light on foreign criminals living in UK communities despite being subject to deportation orders. At the end of 2023, there were 19,244 such offenders — a record number, and a staggering increase from the 14,640 figure revised earlier last year, after the Tories accused the Home Office of undercounting.
Romanians, Albanians and Poles are expected to dominate the league tables, based on previously leaked figures. Between 2021 and 2023, Romanians were linked to 15,701 crimes — the highest number — while Albanians topped the list for offences per head, committing 4,028 crimes per 10,000 people, a rate 30 times higher than that of British nationals.
Conservatives believe the new tables will strengthen Britain’s hand in deportation negotiations, such as the fast-track agreement with Albania, and allow police to better target foreign criminal gangs, particularly those running cannabis farms and organised crime networks.
The decision is also likely to cause friction inside Labour ranks, where many on the Left remain resistant to any measures that could be viewed as tough on immigration.
A senior Home Office source confirmed the about-face, saying: “Any foreign national who abuses our country’s hospitality and commits serious crimes should be in no doubt that they will face the full force of the law, and be removed from the UK at the earliest opportunity.
“But we also want to ensure the public is kept better informed about the number of foreign criminals awaiting deportation, where they are from, and the crimes they have committed.”
Labour’s new stance will be seen as a vindication of Conservative warnings over migrant crime, and a direct response to growing public anger over offenders who are allowed to remain in the UK despite convictions.
Under the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill, foreign criminals awaiting deportation will be subject to tougher restrictions including GPS tags, curfews and exclusion zones — again echoing long-standing Conservative proposals.
Tory MPs are now calling for the tables to be updated regularly and for greater cooperation with foreign governments to remove offenders more quickly.
“This is a welcome step — but it’s a shame Labour had to be dragged into doing the right thing,” said one Conservative source. “If it weren’t for pressure from the Conservative benches, none of this would be happening.
“Next, Labour need to bring back the Rwanda plan!”
The history books will remember the Tories got us out of the EU and most Labour MP’s tried to stop us leaving. There were only about 7 Labour MP’s that voted to Leave the EU. The most interesting one is Jeremy Corbyn because he had spent his whole political life fighting against the EU. He said “powers have gone from this house and its quite serious matters”
Jenrick? It was Rupert Lowe that repeatedly asked for these stats in parliament and in writing.