Check out the Migration Observatory site for up to the minute figures on figures of immigrants detained at special detetention centres as well......(note these are of course not convicted criminals, but it shows another addition this huge and rising problem - and the cost?????)
This Mail article is 2 years old, but think how much worse today's
figures must be.....
Taysider
Labour's open door immigration policy has turned Britain's jails into a
'United Nations of crime' - holding inmates from 160 countries
The foreign criminals represent one in every seven inmates in our
prisons - which are so packed that British convicts are being released
early to make space.
They range from murderers and rapists to burglars, paedophiles and drug
dealers.
There are only 192 member countries of the United Nations, meaning all
bar 32 are represented in the British prison system.
The top ten nationalities of the inmates are Jamaica, Nigeria, the
Irish Republic, Vietnam, Poland, China, Somalia, Pakistan, India and
Romania.
There is no evidence to suggest that foreign nationals are more likely
to commit crime. Rather, the huge number of overseas convicts - 11,546
out of 84,000 people in jail - reflects the large number of immigrants
living in the UK.
Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green, who uncovered the figures,
said: 'Britain has been reduced to the United Nations of crime.
'The fact that criminals from eight in ten countries in the world are
plying their trade in Britain shows something is very wrong with both
our immigration and security policy.'
'This is a continuing crisis both for the immigration system and the
prison system. There are obvious dangers in overloaded prisons, as well
as a burden on British taxpayers who have to pay for this.'
A graphic of the worst offenders
The huge number of foreign nations has been blamed for the current
prison overcrowding crisis, which has led to the early release of tens
of thousands of inmates.
In total, 75,000 convicts have benefited from Labour's End of Custody
Licence - under which they walk free 18 days before their sentence
reaches the halfway point.
They include 15,000 violent offenders, 6,795 criminals serving sentences
for burglary, 16,402 for theft, 3,322 for drug offences and 1,898 for
robbery.
The Ministry of Justice is aware of 1,512 offences committed by
offenders during their period of early release. This includes three
murders.
Critics say that if there had been fewer foreign national prisoners,
early release of British criminals may not have been required.
Ministers have tried a number of desperate tactics to reduce the number
of overseas inmates.
Last month, it emerged that foreign rapists, murderers and other
offenders were being offered credit cards pre-loaded with more than £450
of taxpayers' cash if they agreed to return home.
The perk is part of a package worth up to £5,000 designed to 'bribe'
them to leave the UK.
The credit cards are loaded with money which the convict can spend as
soon as they leave British soil. The remainder of the windfall is
payable 'in kind' when they return home, and can include cash to set up
a business.
One in four of the foreign criminals who was deported last year only
went home after being offered one of the special payments.
Recent recipients include an immigrant convicted of the horrific killing
of a 17-month- old baby.
Malaysian Agnes Wong, 29, was jailed for five years in 2008 for the
manslaughter of a toddler she was supposed to be child-minding. The
Tories have vowed to end the End of Custody Licence scheme.
Controversially, they are considering using prison ships to provide
extra space.
Immigration Minster Phil Woolas said: 'I have made it clear that those
who come to the UK and break the rules will not be tolerated. That is
why we are removing more foreign criminals than ever before, including a
record 5,400 in 2008.
'The UK Border Agency works hard to remove these individuals at the
earliest opportunity.
'The Government has agreed transfer agreements with many countries,
meaning lawbreakers can be sent home to serve the rest of their
sentences in foreign prisons.
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