Politics · United Kingdom · 1 hr ago
UK Rejects Request for Detailed Foreign National Crime Figures
The Ministry of Justice refused to publish detailed 2025 conviction figures requested under freedom of information law by the Centre for Migration Control, a think-tank.
The figures would have shown convictions in England and Wales by nationality and specific offences.
The ministry said the breakdown could identify the individuals concerned and that protecting their personal information outweighed the interest in releasing it.
Some figures are already published in broad offence groups; those figures show foreign nationals accounted for 14.1 per cent of sex offence convictions last year.
The ministry is also seeking to overturn an Information Commissioner's ruling that data on foreign national offending from 2018 to 2024 should be published.
The think-tank called the refusal a cover-up, while the government said it had removed nearly 12,000 foreign national offenders since July 2024 and changed the law to allow earlier deportations.
The Ministry of Justice rejected a request for detailed figures on foreign nationals’ convictions in 2025, saying disclosure could identify individuals.
The Centre for Migration Control had asked for conviction numbers broken down by nationality and offence.
The ministry said the interests of people whose data was involved outweighed the public interest in disclosure.
The Centre for Migration Control accused the government of putting offenders’ data rights ahead of public safety.
The government said nearly 12,000 foreign national offenders had been removed since July 2024, an increase of 41 per cent.
- Who
- The Ministry of Justice rejected the request from the Centre for Migration Control.
- What
- The request sought 2025 conviction figures broken down by nationality and offence.
- When
- The article was published on 15 November 2026. The figures requested were for 2025.
- Where
- England and Wales.
- Why
- The ministry said disclosure could lead to the identification of the individuals concerned.
Centre for Migration Control
Ministry of Justice
Public interest
Centre for Migration Control
The public has a right to know the impact of migration on public safety.
Ministry of Justice
Disclosing the requested data could identify individuals, and their interests in protecting personal information outweighed the public interest.
Disclosure
Centre for Migration Control
Detailed figures should be published, including numbers for serious offences.
Ministry of Justice
The ministry refused the request for a breakdown by nationality and offence.
Data on foreign offending in England and Wales was covered by an Information Commissioner’s ruling that it should be published.
The Centre for Migration Control requested conviction figures broken down by nationality and offence.
The Daily Mail reported that the Ministry of Justice had rejected the request.
- Requested figures
- 2025 convictions
- Requesting organisation
- Centre for Migration Control
- Government department
- Ministry of Justice
- Offence-data period in earlier ruling
- 2018–24
- Foreign national offenders removed
- Nearly 12,000 since July 2024
- Increase in removals
- 41 per cent
What people are saying
On balance the interests of the data subjects to safeguard personal information outweigh the legitimate interest in this case.
We have a right to know the impact mass migration is having on public safety.
The country deserves to know how many of the most serious crimes are by people who should not be in our country.
We have prioritised deportation of foreign national offenders with nearly 12,000 removed since July 2024 – up 41 per cent – and have changed the law so foreign prisoners can be deported earlier than ever.