Freedom of Information requests so far suggest 66 nationalities have higher conviction rates than British citizens and foreign nationals are 71 per cent more likely to be convicted of sex crimes.
Mass immigration is driving a surge in serious and violent crime across Britain, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has warned – accusing the Labour Government of a long-standing cover-up and demanding urgent action to protect the public.
In a hard-hitting intervention, Mr Jenrick said the British public had been “lied to” about the consequences of uncontrolled immigration, with damning new data suggesting that foreign nationals are far more likely to be convicted of serious crimes – including sex attacks and violence – than UK citizens.
Writing in an explosive opinion piece in the Telegraph, Mr Jenrick branded Labour’s immigration system “a disgrace” and said: “Coming to this country is a privilege, never a right. It should not be afforded to anyone likely to endanger our citizens.”
He blasted what he described as an “institutional cover-up” over the link between low-skilled migration and crime, claiming officials have hidden behind “excuses” and blocked publication of critical data “out of fear of harming social cohesion”.
“But the dam is now breaking,” he declared.
The Home Office has now pledged to publish crime data by nationality before the end of the year – a move Mr Jenrick said should have happened long ago. He is calling for the figures to go further, breaking down offences by visa and asylum status to give the public “the unvarnished truth”.
Figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests have already painted a disturbing picture. According to the preliminary data:
- Algerians are 18 times more likely to be convicted of theft than British nationals.
- Congolese citizens are 12 times more likely to be convicted of violent crimes.
- Somali nationals are eight times more likely to face such convictions.
- Foreign nationals overall are 71 per cent more likely to be convicted of sex crimes than UK citizens.
Particularly shocking were early indications that Afghans and Eritreans are over 20 times more likely to be convicted of sexual offences – though the data remains subject to further verification.
“It makes me sick to my core to think we are importing people into this country who are causing such terrible harm,” Mr Jenrick wrote. “We talk endlessly about protecting women and girls – yet ignore the threat posed by dangerous individuals we let in.”
He demanded radical reductions in visas, stricter background checks for high-risk countries, and the immediate deportation of failed asylum seekers with criminal links.
Mr Jenrick also hit out at Whitehall resistance to transparency, revealing he had tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill – backed by more than 40 Conservative MPs – that would have forced ministers to publish detailed crime data by nationality. It was blocked.
In 2023, he co-authored a report with fellow MPs Neil O’Brien and Karl Williams highlighting the urgent need for such data. Campaigners, too, have long raised concerns, but Mr Jenrick says they have been met with a “computer says no” response from the establishment.
Quoting Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, he added: “It shouldn’t be controversial to say not all cultures are equal.”
“Freedom of Information requests so far suggest 66 nationalities have higher conviction rates than British citizens,” he said. “If we are to build an immigration system that protects the British people, we must know the facts.”
“This isn’t just about statistics. It’s about safety. The British people deserve the truth – even if that truth is uncomfortable.”
A Home Office source said the department remains committed to transparency and public safety, but did not comment directly on the figures cited.
Read Robert Jenrick’s full article in the Telegraph here.
