Foreigners held for 470 crimes every day

FOREIGN nationals were arrested more than 172,000 times in a year, including for murder, rape and grooming offences, police figures reveal.

- BY MICHAEL KNOWLES

Overseas citizens were collared for at least 50,507 violent offences, 12,151 sex crimes, 13,864 drug offences and 13,400 thefts.

Analysis of force data for the year to last March revealed foreign nationals were arrested for at least 172,889 alleged crimes.

The Centre for Migration Control (CMC), which collated the figures, said the UK should consider Donald Trump-style red lists of countries.

Their proposals would see visas restricted or limited for countries that refuse to take back illegal migrants or whose nationals are linked to higher crime rates.

The CMC said the true arrest figures will be even higher, as five forces, including Merseyside and Essex, could only supply statistics for the first 10 months of 2024.

Robert Bates, CMC research director, said: “It should be simple: any foreign national falling foul of any of our laws must be removed and prevented from returning. We must leave the European Convention on Human Rights to block appeals that keep foreign convicts on our streets.”