Sexual offence convictions involving foreign nationals in Britain have surged by over 60% in just four years, significantly outpacing the rise in convictions among British citizens. The Ministry of Justice revealed migrants accounted for 14.1% of rape and sexual offence convictions in 2024—roughly one in seven—according to Police National Computer data.
Between 2021 and 2024, convictions of foreign nationals for sex crimes rose from 687 to 1,114. In contrast, convictions of British citizens—some of whom may also be foreign-born—rose by 39.3%, from 4,409 to 6,142. While the total numbers remain higher for UK nationals, the rate of increase among migrants is far more dramatic.
The disparity becomes more alarming when broken down by certain nationalities. Migrants from countries frequently involved in illegal Channel crossings—Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, and Vietnam—saw a collective 110% increase in sexual offence convictions since 2021. In 2024, Indian nationals recorded the highest number of convictions among foreign groups at 100, followed by Romanians (92), Poles (83), Pakistanis (56), Afghans (43), Nigerians (40), Sudanese (37), Bangladeshis (34), and Portuguese (33).
Critics argue these figures underrepresent the full extent of migrant-linked crimes, as they exclude foreign-born individuals who later gained UK citizenship or were born in the UK to migrant parents. The opaque nature of the data—only listing an offender’s “primary” nationality and counting multiple offences by the same individual—has led to calls for full transparency.
The Centre for Migration Control, which obtained the data through a Freedom of Information request, is urging the UK government to implement stricter immigration controls based on the findings. “It is unconscionable for the Government to continue with business-as-usual,” said research director Robert Bates. “A red list is now urgently needed.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the figures reflect a growing public concern. “This country has a serious and growing crime problem with its own people, which makes importing foreign-born criminals all the more stupid,” he said. “Foreign sex offenders are becoming one of the most important political issues in Britain.”
Public anger has already sparked action. In Essex, a High Court challenge led to the closure of a migrant hotel in Epping following allegations that an illegal Ethiopian migrant sexually assaulted a 14-year-old local girl. The Bell Hotel, which housed asylum seekers, became the focus of large protests, largely led by concerned mothers. The court ruled that the site posed a “feeding ground for unrest.”
The government has since appealed the ruling and is now contacting landlords across the UK to disperse migrants into private accommodations—prompting fears of broader social consequences. More legal challenges are expected as local communities push back against the placement of asylum seekers in residential neighborhoods.
