Cross-border checks by UK police have exposed 823 foreign nationals with convictions for murder, manslaughter, rape or child sex offences over the last three years. The records were only uncovered after the individuals were arrested for fresh offences in Britain, according to figures released by the National Police Chiefs' Council.
That works out at more than five serious foreign criminals unmasked every week, and almost half were flagged by records held in one country - Romania. There is no automatic system forcing foreign offenders to declare their past, so the convictions come to light only after the criminals fall under suspicion for fresh offences in the UK.
Romania tops the list in every category
The figures show the checks identified 308 people with murder or manslaughter convictions abroad, 205 with rape convictions and 310 convicted of child sex crimes. Romania topped the table in every category, with 166 of the killers, 108 of the rapists and 96 of the child sex offenders traced to records held there.
Poland was next in the rankings, supplying at least 128 of the criminals across the three lists, with Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic also featuring. Officials at the ACRO Criminal Records Office carried out 303,633 checks on arrested foreign nationals, with the annual count jumping 26% since 2023.
Checks only scratch the surface
Ministers have made removing foreign criminals a centrepiece of their immigration crackdown, yet the checks show serious offenders are still being unmasked only after they land in a British police cell. But these figures are just the tip of the iceberg, as the authorities here can only cross-reference convictions with countries where agreements are in place.
It means many of the people arriving in the UK in small boats from nations in Africa and the Middle East may never show up, because there is no way of checking with their home nation.
Case of Romanian robber highlights danger
The danger was highlighted recently by the case of Romanian robber Dumitru Busna, who spent at least 14 years on the run in Britain despite an Interpol red notice being issued for his arrest. Busna, 37, dodged a ten-year sentence for a violent street robbery in his homeland and was only caught in March, working illegally on a building site in the West Midlands.
He is now fighting removal by claiming a right to family life here, even though his two children live in Romania and have not seen him for eight years. Forces now ask ACRO for more than 330 checks every day, each one testing whether the person in the cells is hiding a past nobody here knew about.
The country checked is chosen by the investigating force and may not match the suspect's nationality, while some of those flagged could be Britons who picked up convictions abroad. ACRO is the national police unit that exchanges criminal records with forces around the world, and the figures were released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: "This is yet another example of the Government making claims that don't survive close scrutiny. There is no credible explanation for why such vile criminals can enter the country, let alone be allowed to stay after serving prison sentences for serious crimes such as murder and rape. Ministers and our law enforcers need to get their act together; sharpish."
An ACRO spokesperson said: "The UK has well established mechanisms for exchanging information on criminal records internationally. This helps UK police pursue criminal investigations and safeguard communities."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "These figures show criminal records checks are helping catch dangerous offenders and protect the public. Working with international partners, we are giving law enforcement the intelligence needed to hunt down criminals and keep our streets safe, and we remain committed to deepening cooperation across borders.
"Foreign criminals cannot come to Britain and expect a clean slate. If you have committed serious crimes overseas, we will find out, and since the election more than 11,000 foreign criminals, including murderers and rapists, have been removed from the UK, the highest number in nearly a decade."
