'The cover-up is over!' Home Office WILL publish migrant crime league tables as Labour buckles to pressure

Albanians, Romanians and Poles are expected to be among the worst offenders for crimes including violence, robbery, theft and drug dealing.

While on a per capita basis, analysis by the Centre for Migration Control of 2024 arrest data published this January placed Albanians, Afghans and Iraqis in the top three.

Cooper's directive comes after overruling Home Office officials who previously claimed it was too difficult to provide quality data on foreign criminals.

Until now, such breakdowns have only been unofficial - despite pressure campaign groups' freedom of information requests to police forces.

Following the news, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: "Almost exactly a year since I tabled an amendment to force the publication of data on crime by nationality, it looks like it's finally going to happen.

"The cover-up is coming to an end. We'll finally see the hard reality that mass migration is fuelling crime across our country.

"Frankly, the public deserved to know this long ago."

The move mirrors an approach already taken by some US states and Denmark, where crime rates for migrants are published.

LATEST ON THE MIGRANT CRISIS:

• Glasgow threatens to stop taking migrants as taxpayer costs set to TREBLE in growing crisis
• GB News viewer fears for her safety amid record number of migrant crossings: 'Scared for my life!'
• HUNDREDS more migrants arrive in Britain on Good Friday as record week for crossings grows again
• WATCH: Kemi Badenoch reacts to GB News clip of newly arrived Sudanese migrant - ‘It’s a disgrace!’

In Denmark, these published statistics have often shown higher crime rates for migrants than for Danish nationals.

Ministers believe the data, if officially published, could provide leverage in diplomatic negotiations to secure deportation deals similar to agreements with Albania for fast-track removals.

The information could also help law enforcement agencies target foreign offenders, similar to police operations against organised foreign crime gangs running illegal cannabis farms.

The analysis will focus on foreign criminals who are living free while they await their deportation.

Home Office figures show that there were 19,244 such people at the end of last year.

Labour claimed the Home Office previously underestimated the number of people awaiting deportation under the Tories.

Figures for the end of 2022 were revised upwards in February by 30 per cent from 11,266 to 14,640, a number which then increased to 17,907 by the General Election.

Previous data covering crimes committed by foreigners between 2021 and 2023 showed Romanians accounted for the highest number at 15,701, followed by Poles and Albanians.

However, Albanians had the highest rate at 4,028 per 10,000 of their census population, 30 times that of British nationals.

Some 3,594 foreign criminals have been deported since Labour came to power, a 16 per cent increase on the same period 12 months prior.

A Home Office source said: "We 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."

Any foreign national jailed for at least 12 months faces automatic deportation.