91,234 arrests by half of UK forces last year, compared with 51,899 in 2008
- Total number of non-British suspects quizzed over period may be 750,000
- Rural police see biggest increase in foreigner arrests
The number of foreigners arrested for committing crimes in Britain has almost doubled in the past three years, police revealed today.
Figures show that in 2010 more than 91,234 non-British nationals were held for crimes including murder, burglary and sexual offences.
By contrast, only 51,899 foreigners were arrested in 2008 - meaning there has been a worrying increase of 76 per cent over the past three years.
Increase: 750,000 foreigner arrests are thought to have been made since 2008
The increase comes after a period of soaring migration, notably from eastern Europe, the source of more than a million arrivals to Britain.
The worst affected of the 19 forces that published data - after a request was made using the Freedom of Information Act - were those which policed rural areas.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary made 27 arrests in 2006 and 4,803 in 2010 - a staggering 17,689 per cent rise.
Durham Constabulary suffered a 629 per cent rise from 65 in 2006 to 474 in 2010 and Humberside Police recorded a 138 per cent increase, from 865 to 2,055.
FORCES ARRESTING FOREIGNERS
| POLICE FORCE | 2008 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| KENT | 3,741 | 4,119 |
| CAMBRIDGESHIRE | 3,316 | 4,803 |
| DURHAM | 147 | 474 |
| HUMBERSIDE | 865 | 2,055 |
| N. YORKSHIRE | 385 | 585 |
| MET POLICE | 24,364 | 58,870 |
| BEDFORDSHIRE | 339 | 528 |
| SUFFOLK | 821 | 1,547 |
| CUMBRIA | 126 | 331 |
| GWENT | 224 | 591 |
Figures are from 19 police forces that released data following a Freedom of Information Act request
During the same period arrests by Kent Police increased by 283 per cent from 1,075 to 4,119, while Surrey Police saw a rise from 1,959 to 2,079 - up six per cent.
Fewer than half of Britain’s police forces released data, which means that across the UK the total number of foreign arrests will be much higher.
If the average increase for the 19 forces included in today’s figures were applied across all 52 British forces, it is estimated that more than 750,000 foreigners have been held since 2008.
The worrying rise will renew public debate over immigration, border controls and the deportation of convicted foreign criminals at the end of their jail sentences.
Hugh Robertson, Conservative MP for Mid Kent, said: ‘These figures are deeply concerning for anybody who lives in Kent and place a very unwelcome extra burden on our police forces.
‘Immigration is a key issue that many people in my constituency speak to me about and it's a very emotive subject.
‘It may be that the rise in arrests is linked to the mass increase in immigration but it's very hard to say for sure.’
Nick Cowan, crime researcher for think tank Civitas, said: ‘To some extent with an open labour market you are going to end up with some undesirables which is a shame.
‘These figures imply a lot of police resources are needed and we can't cut corners.
‘It would be nice if we could re-establish the ability to control our borders and deport people when they are incredibly undesirable.’
Hardest hit: Rural areas which employ foreign farm labourers have seen the biggest increase in crime by migrants
Pete Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said that migration has had a ‘huge’ impact on police resources.
He said: ‘I'm not surprised it’s so high because London is getting more diverse by the day.
‘It is a problem when you get someone in who can't speak English and we wait hours for an expensive interpreter to hear their side of the story.
‘Even in trivial cases where you might be giving just a caution officers could be off the street for five or six hours - which is a massive expense.’
Concern: Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, whose constituency has seen a significant rise in foreigners being arrested
The shocking statistics show a steady increase in the foreign crime wave even in urban areas where immigrants have settled for years.
Arrests of foreigners made by the Metropolitan Police increased from 24,264 in 2008 to 58,870 in 2010 - up 143 per cent.
A spokeswoman for the Association of Chief Police Officers said that the high amount of foreign crimes has added pressure to already ‘stretched’ police resources.
She said: ‘The growing number of new communities has certainly brought greater complexity to the pattern of crime and has contributed to already stretched resources.
‘As police, we have to adapt all the time to deal with new and emerging problems.
‘However we pride ourselves on our strong relationships within our local communities and the way we deal with the issues that emerge.’
Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, added: ‘Our police force is extremely poorly funded and yet our officers are doing a good job against this background of poor investment - but it is crucial that this is addressed as a matter of urgency.
‘Cambridge is experiencing rapid growth and we need Government investment if we are to manage that growth effectively.’
Cllr Geoffrey Heathcock, a former JP in Cambridge, said: ‘The volume of violent crime linked to foreign nationals is deeply troubling and is another factor in the whole story of why the county, with a growing population pressure, needs a significantly better deal from the Government.’
The steep rise in foreigners arrested on suspicion of committing crimes comes despite an overall fall in the number of crimes recorded by police over the past five years.
The rise coincides with a sharp increase in the number of migrants coming to live in the UK since the European Union expanded in 2004 to take in eight former Eastern Bloc countries, including Poland.
Thirty-three police forces in England, Scotland and Wales refused or were unable to reply to the Freedom of Information request.
Fifteen forces had figures for foreign criminals between 2006 and 2010, three provided arrests from 2008 and 2010 and one force had statistics from 2007 to 2010.
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