UK migrant crime statistics: grooming gang convictions and withheld nationality data
What official UK sources show for England and Wales: how ethnic groups are represented in group-based child sexual exploitation convictions. The UK Government does not publish offence, conviction or prison statistics by nationality or country of birth, so no per-capita multiple is shown for foreign nationals and nothing is estimated.
- Rape & sexual offencesSouth Asian 10× as likely to appear in group-based child sexual exploitation convictions as their share of the population.
Rape & sexual offences in England and Wales by ethnic group in grooming gang convictions
| Group | Times as likely | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| their share of the population | 1.0× | Baseline |
| South Asian | 10× | 84% of convictions · 9.0×–11× across the 2021 and 2011 census |
| Black | 2.2× | 8% of convictions · 2.0×–2.4× across the 2021 and 2011 census |
| White | 0.1× | 7% of convictions · 0.1×–0.1× across the 2021 and 2011 census |
Ethnicity, not nationality or immigration status: many of those convicted are British citizens. One analysis of 264 convictions, not a national rate.
Violent offences in England and Wales by ethnic group in grooming gang convictions
The UK does not publish violent offending by nationality or country of birth, so no per-capita multiple can be calculated. Missing data is not zero.
Homicide & offences against life in England and Wales by ethnic group in grooming gang convictions
The UK does not publish homicide suspects or convictions by nationality or country of birth, so no per-capita multiple can be calculated. Missing data is not zero.
Foreign prisoners and offences by nationality in England and Wales
Because of this, no foreign prisoner rate or conviction multiple is shown for England and Wales, and none is estimated. Missing data is not zero.
England and Wales migrant crime: common questions
- Does the UK publish crime statistics by country of birth?
- No. The UK Government and Home Office do not publish offence statistics by nationality or country of birth. A 2017 analysis reviewed by the Home Office in 2020 reports the ethnicity of people convicted in group-based child sexual exploitation cases, but ethnicity is not nationality or immigration status. No per-capita multiple is shown for any offence, and missing data is not zero.
- Why does this page show no UK foreign prisoner rate?
- The data is withheld. The Ministry of Justice is appealing an Information Commissioner ruling that ordered it to release 2018–2024 conviction data by nationality and offence type. The case is still before the tribunal, so NumbersDeck does not publish a UK foreign prisoner rate and does not estimate one.
- What do the UK grooming gang statistics show?
- The Quilliam analysis counted ethnicity across 264 group-based child sexual exploitation convictions and divided each group’s share of convictions by its share of the England and Wales population. It measures ethnicity, not nationality or immigration status, and many of those convicted are British citizens. It is one analysis, not a national rate.
- What are the crime statistics for illegal migrants in Europe?
- No European country publishes a reliable per-capita crime rate for illegal migrants alone, because people without legal residence are not counted in the population figures needed to calculate a rate. Most official rates count registered residents by country of birth or citizenship. Germany comes closest: its police statistics (PKS) report an immigrant category (Zuwanderer) that includes asylum seekers, refugees, tolerated persons and people staying without permission. Foreign-citizen prison counts on the map can also include people without legal residence held on remand or awaiting deportation.