A new report has pulled back the curtain on one of the UK’s most explosive issues: foreign criminals behind bars. According to newly released government data, the number of foreign sex offenders and violent criminals in English and Welsh prisons is surging—rising three times faster than British nationals. In some jails, a shocking 85% of inmates are now foreign nationals.

The figures, analyzed by *The Times*, show a 10% year-over-year jump in foreign sex offenders, with the total number of migrant sex criminals up 26.6% since 2015. Syrians, in particular, have seen a massive 46% increase in prison representation just in the past year alone.

The trend holds for other violent offenses too. Foreign prisoners convicted of violent acts have risen 51%, while those jailed for public order crimes are up 95%. Weapon possession convictions among migrants? A jaw-dropping 140% surge since 2015.

The cost to the UK taxpayer is immense—but the social and political fallout could be even greater. Demands for reform are intensifying.

Robert Jenrick, the Conservative shadow justice secretary and de facto party leader, issued a blunt directive: “The Government must deport every single one of these foreign offenders. They need to be kicked out of the country immediately.” He’s also calling for suspension of visas and foreign aid to countries that refuse to take their nationals back.

Nigel Farage, leader of the populist Reform UK Party, is leaning into the moment with a campaign that warns of “societal collapse.” Citing crime and lawlessness spreading across British cities, Farage is proposing radical measures—from mass deportations to building temporary prisons with military help, and even outsourcing incarceration to cheaper foreign prisons in countries like El Salvador.

“The time has come for a national conversation about the link between immigration and crime,” Farage said, channeling his tough-on-crime message through comparisons to Rudy Giuliani’s 1990s “broken windows” crackdown in New York. “I believe London needs a Giuliani, not a Sadiq Khan.”

The revelations aren’t just limited to England and Wales. In Scotland, separate data reported by the *Daily Telegraph* shows similarly alarming trends. Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr claims that over a quarter of Eritrean residents in Scotland are now in prison, with high incarceration rates also among Somali, Albanian, and Vietnamese migrants.

Critics say the problem stems from lax vetting and immigration enforcement. Robert Bates of the Centre for Migration Control pointed to post-Brexit immigration rules, saying the government must reinstate the old nationality “red list” and require mandatory criminal background checks for visa applicants.

This is a moment of reckoning for Britain. The sheer scale of the crisis—its financial cost, public safety implications, and political ramifications—has ignited fresh demands for a major overhaul of how the UK handles foreign crime.

As pressure mounts, one thing is clear: the public is no longer willing to ignore what’s happening inside its prisons—or on its streets.