Farage Urges Police to Disclose Immigration Status of Charged Offenders

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Nigel Farage has called for police forces to reveal the immigration status of individuals charged with serious crimes, following public outrage over recent cases involving asylum seekers accused of rape. His comments come in the wake of two 23-year-old men being charged with raping and attempting to strangle a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

The suspects are understood to be asylum seekers, and local officials, including George Finch of Reform UK, have accused police of withholding this information. Finch claimed that police concealed the immigration status to avoid inflaming tensions, describing it as a “cover-up” that erodes trust in the authorities.

Farage echoed the sentiment, stating that the public has a right to know whether individuals charged with such serious offences have entered the country legally. He argued that transparency in such cases is necessary to restore public confidence in both the justice system and immigration enforcement.

Warwickshire Police defended its approach, citing national guidance which discourages disclosure of a suspect’s immigration status or ethnicity before trial. Police officials argue that revealing such details could risk prejudicing court proceedings and compromising fair trial principles.

Reform UK has made the issue a key element of its political platform, demanding mandatory disclosure of immigration and ethnic backgrounds in serious criminal cases. The party argues that the British public deserves openness and clarity, particularly in cases involving violent or sexual offences.

Meanwhile, senior police figures have expressed concern over the politicisation of crime reporting. Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington urged public figures to exercise caution, warning that inflammatory remarks risk stirring unrest and damaging public trust, especially in areas already experiencing tensions related to asylum housing.

The Home Office has acknowledged growing pressure to increase transparency but maintains that legal due process must be preserved. The College of Policing is reportedly reviewing existing disclosure guidance to determine whether greater public clarity can be achieved without compromising legal safeguards.