Tories and Reform UK Unite on Amendment to Disclose Foreign National Offender Data

The Conservative Party and Reform UK have joined forces on a new amendment concerning foreign national offenders. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has garnered support for his amendment from all five Reform UK MPs, as well as Rupert Lowe. If the amendment gains majority support in Parliament, it would compel the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice to disclose the nationality and legal status of all convicted and sentenced criminals in Britain.

This marks the first instance of Nigel Farage officially aligning with the Conservatives on legislation, and only the second time the two parties have collaborated in Parliament. A Conservative source noted the unprecedented nature of this cooperation, particularly on immigration-related matters.

Richard Tice, a deputy from Reform UK, cautioned against overanalyzing the alliance, while acknowledging the amendment's merit and the need for cross-party backing. Jenrick stated that the amendment, if passed, would expose a "shameful cover-up" by government authorities. The proposal draws inspiration from practices in some US states and Denmark, which publish data on migrant crime rates. It could also inform migration policy by potentially restricting visas from countries with disproportionately high crime rates among their nationals.

Jenrick has previously highlighted that Afghans and Eritreans are significantly more likely to be convicted of sex offenses, while Albanians are far more likely to be convicted of drug offenses. He emphasized the importance of transparency regarding criminal activity within the country. Research indicates that there were 104,000 convictions of foreign nationals between 2021 and 2023.