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UK to Release Nationality Data of Foreign Criminals Awaiting Deportation

The UK government plans to publicly disclose the nationalities of foreign criminals residing in the country for the first time. This initiative, expected to be unveiled soon, will provide insights into the origins and offenses of individuals awaiting deportation.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has reportedly instructed officials to make this data available by the end of the calendar year. Current statistics reveal that over 19,000 foreign offenders were pending deportation at the end of last year, a noticeable increase from nearly 18,000 when the Conservative government left office in July.

The commitment to release nationality information on foreign criminals has been interpreted by the Conservative Party as an indication that the Labour government “buckled” under pressure to reveal such figures. In contrast, government representatives assert that this initiative is a direct outcome of Cooper’s decision to enhance the Home Office’s statistical systems.

According to existing immigration policies, foreign nationals sentenced to a year or more in prison face mandatory deportation. However, the Home Secretary holds the authority to deport individuals with shorter sentences if their continued presence is deemed not beneficial to public safety.

Home Office officials attribute the increase in foreign criminals pending deportation to several factors, including overcrowding in prisons leading to early releases, challenges in deporting individuals to unstable countries, and numerous appeals against deportation grounded on human rights considerations.

Despite an uptick in deportations since the Labour government assumed office, the rising figures persist. Preliminary Home Office data is anticipated to indicate that the primary nationalities of foreign criminals living in the UK include Albanians, Romanians, and Poles. The most frequently reported offenses among these offenders involve drug production, theft, robbery, and violent assaults.

Government spokespeople emphasize that this initiative stems from a renewed commitment to addressing issues that previously received inadequate attention under the Conservative administration. A Home Office source remarked, “Not only are we deporting foreign criminals at an unprecedented rate compared to the tenure of Chris Philp and Robert Jenrick at the Home Office, but we will also be providing more detailed information about this group of offenders than the Tories ever did.”

The source further expressed the intention to ensure the public remains better informed regarding the volume of foreign criminals awaiting deportation, along with their nationalities and the crimes committed.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick responded positively to the announcement, stating, “We will finally see the hard reality that mass migration is fuelling crime across our country. Frankly, the public deserved to know this long ago.”

Source
www.bbc.com