Foreign offenders who avoided deportation have committed nearly 40,000 crimes across the UK in just four years, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, who requested the data, condemned the failures, calling the situation “a disgrace.”
Between April 2018 and March 2022, over 10,000 offenses were recorded annually, marking a 25% increase from previous years. In the latest year analyzed, 3,235 foreign criminals were responsible for 10,012 additional crimes after release. Disturbingly, one in four reoffended, despite being legally required to leave the country.
“These crimes could’ve been avoided if our establishment had the courage to act,” Lowe remarked. Among nearly 5,000 violent or sexual offenses was Jamaican national Ernesto Elliott, who avoided deportation only to fatally stab a man during a robbery in London. Another case involved Lloyd Byfield, who dodged removal and later killed a woman in her home.
Critics blame left-wing immigration lawyers and the European Convention on Human Rights for blocking deportations. While Conservatives promised action, the new Labour government remains committed to international law.
Albanians form the largest group of foreign offenders, followed by Poles, Romanians, Irish, and Jamaicans. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick urged tougher measures, writing, “Deport foreign criminals. Use every tool—visa sanctions, cutting foreign aid—to make countries take back their people.”
The numbers paint a grim picture of reoffending by those who should’ve been removed, sparking renewed calls for stricter deportation enforcement.
