Foreigners underrepresented among prisoners in England and Wales, report finds

"While non-citizens made up a higher proportion of people convicted for sexual and theft offences over the past decade, researchers cautioned that a lack of data for offenders' age and sex complicated the picture and meant it was hard to make clear assertions. In June, 12.4% of the prison population were non-UK nationals, excluding people with no recorded nationality, according to Oxford University's Migration Observatory; the foreign-born population in England and Wales was 16.8% in 2021, according to the census."

"The picture was more complicated for certain crimes such as sexual offences, where foreign nationals were overrepresented among those cautioned or convicted, at 15%, but underrepresented in the prison population, making up 10%. Organisers involved in summer protests outside asylum-seeker accommodation sought to reignite the issue by staging a demonstration outside Downing Street on Wednesday, where they were opposed by anti-fascist activists."

"While the crowd on Whitehall was made up largely of a few hundred women dressed in pink and waving union flags, others present included far-right activists such as Steve Laws, of the Homeland party, as well as the Ukip leader, Nick Tenconi. A women against the far right counter-demonstration on the other side of Whitehall included the former Big Brother contestant Narinder Kaur, who said she had come to oppose what she said was the Pink Ladies' aim of spreading fear about asylum seekers."

Non-UK nationals comprise 12.4% of prisoners in England and Wales (excluding unknown nationality), compared with a 16.8% foreign-born population in 2021. Non-citizens accounted for higher shares of cautions and convictions for sexual and theft offences over the past decade, though they are underrepresented in the prison population for sexual offences. Missing offender age and sex data limits firm conclusions. Summer protests outside asylum-seeker accommodation reignited tensions, with a demonstration outside Downing Street attended by the Pink Ladies, opposed by anti-fascist counter-protesters. Far-right figures including Steve Laws and Ukip leader Nick Tenconi were present.

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