Reform UK has accused Labour of attempting to conceal the true scale of immigrant crime in Britain.
The Ministry of Justice has launched legal action to prevent the publication of detailed conviction statistics broken down by nationality. Instead of releasing the figures, the Labour government is now spending taxpayers’ money fighting to keep them hidden.
The department is appealing against a ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office, which ordered it to release conviction data covering England and Wales between 2018 and 2024.
The information was requested by the Centre for Migration Control under Freedom of Information laws. It would show the number of convictions by nationality for offences including rape, murder, child sexual abuse, grievous bodily harm, arson, robbery, weapons possession and drug crimes.
The Ministry of Justice argued that compiling the figures would be disproportionately expensive and that some data could risk identifying individuals. However, both of these arguments were rejected by the Information Commissioner, who ruled that the department had failed to adequately justify withholding the data. The watchdog concluded that the requested data should be disclosed.
Yet rather than accept the ruling and allow the British public to see the figures, the Labour government has now appealed to the First-tier Tribunal in an attempt to overturn it.
Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf said it was “obvious” why the government would do this: “The Tories and Labour want to cover up the impact of their immigration betrayal. As Home Secretary I would publish this data immediately. The British people deserve the truth.”
The Centre for Migration Control said the requested figures would amount to the most comprehensive release of immigrant-crime data in British history. It has pledged to challenge the government’s appeal through every available legal mechanism.
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s Shadow Chancellor, pledged: “A Reform UK government would blow the lid on what’s really happening and begin deporting these dangerous criminals.”
The Ministry of Justice has launched legal action to prevent the publication of detailed conviction statistics broken down by nationality. Instead of releasing the figures, the Labour government is now spending taxpayers’ money fighting to keep them hidden.
The department is appealing against a ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office, which ordered it to release conviction data covering England and Wales between 2018 and 2024.
The information was requested by the Centre for Migration Control under Freedom of Information laws. It would show the number of convictions by nationality for offences including rape, murder, child sexual abuse, grievous bodily harm, arson, robbery, weapons possession and drug crimes.
The Ministry of Justice argued that compiling the figures would be disproportionately expensive and that some data could risk identifying individuals. However, both of these arguments were rejected by the Information Commissioner, who ruled that the department had failed to adequately justify withholding the data. The watchdog concluded that the requested data should be disclosed.
Yet rather than accept the ruling and allow the British public to see the figures, the Labour government has now appealed to the First-tier Tribunal in an attempt to overturn it.
Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf said it was “obvious” why the government would do this: “The Tories and Labour want to cover up the impact of their immigration betrayal. As Home Secretary I would publish this data immediately. The British people deserve the truth.”
The Centre for Migration Control said the requested figures would amount to the most comprehensive release of immigrant-crime data in British history. It has pledged to challenge the government’s appeal through every available legal mechanism.
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s Shadow Chancellor, pledged: “A Reform UK government would blow the lid on what’s really happening and begin deporting these dangerous criminals.”
