Full Breakdown
Labour-Government Dispute Over Publication of Crime-by-Nationality Data
By Drooid · · How we work
Dispute Over Detailed Crime Statistics
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is appealing an Information Commissioner ruling that ordered it to release conviction figures from 2018-2024 broken down by offender nationality and specific offence type. The request was made by Robert Bates, director of the Centre for Migration Control, who argues that the data are essential for public debate about offending patterns and the risk to the public.
Legal and Cost Arguments
The MoJ’s appeal rests on two main points: first, that producing the detailed tables would exceed the statutory cost ceiling for Freedom of Information requests; second, that releasing such granular data could breach data-protection rights through a “mosaic effect,” whereby individuals might be identified by combining nationality, offence type, and information already in the public domain. The department estimates the task would require about 88 hours of work, a figure disputed by Bates, who accuses the MoJ of misleading the Information Commissioner and the First-tier Tribunal. The allegation remains unresolved.
Government Data on Foreign National Offenders
Separate Home Office statistics released this year provide limited breakdowns for foreign-national offenders within the immigration system. Official figures for the year ending June 2026 show 8,507 foreign nationals left immigration detention, including 1,960 Albanian, 1,058 Romanian and 743 Polish individuals. Among these, 2,849 were recorded for drug offences, 1,132 for violence-against-the-person offences (excluding homicide) and 1,112 for theft. These data do not cover the comprehensive conviction-by-nationality and offence-type detail sought by Bates.
Official Positions
Robert Bates describes the public-interest justification for disclosure as “overwhelming” and the potential harm to individuals as “exceptionally low.” The MoJ maintains that releasing the data would risk identifying offenders and exceed cost limits. A government spokesperson notes that the administration has prioritized deporting foreign-national offenders, with nearly 12,000 removals since July 2024—a 41 percent increase—and that legislation now allows earlier deportation after sentencing. The spokesperson also says deported offenders are barred from returning to the UK.
Potential Implications
If the tribunal upholds the MoJ’s appeal, detailed crime-by-nationality statistics will remain unavailable, limiting the ability of advocacy groups to analyse patterns of offending by migrant status. Conversely, a ruling in favor of disclosure could set a precedent for greater transparency but may also raise privacy concerns under data-protection law. The outcome will shape the balance between public-interest reporting and individual rights in the UK’s criminal-justice system.