According to a Freedom of Information Request submitted by the think tank, 9,771 arrests were carried out across Britain’s transport network in the year 2024 to 2025.

Of those arrested, 3,688 were foreign nationals, representing 37.7 per cent.

CMC analysis shows foreign nationals are more likely to be arrested than native born people by the British Transport Police for a host of crimes.

Foreign nationals made up the overwhelming number of those arrested for stealing, at nearly 80 per cent, and were 36.6 per cent of arrests for sexual offences, 35.7 per cent of the arrests for violent crimes, and 39.6 per cent of arrests for drug related offences.

Of these migrant arrests, 225 are linked to sexual offences, 900 to violence, 187 to drugs, and 304 to theft of passenger property.

In the UK 5.9 million people hold non-British passports, representing 9.9 per cent of the population, according to the 2021 census.

The British Transport Police is stepping up its patrols | PA

Robert Bates, Research Director of the Centre for Migration Control, told GB News: “Immigration has caused a crime wave on British trains and public transport.

“Immigrants are vastly overrepresented in arrest figures from British Transport Police, particularly when it comes to theft.

“Keeping Brits safe is the number one priority of the government, yet under the Tories and Labour they have continued to let in millions of migrants who commit terrible crimes against the native population.

“Last year every three minutes a migrant was arrested in Britain.”

Local authorities transferred the case to the British Transport Police | GETTY

However, for foreign-born nationals, the rate increased to one in 70, representing a 34 per cent higher arrest rate compared to the British-born population.

Drawing on data from dozens of police forces, the CMC estimates that since 2021 there have been 369,000 arrests of non-UK nationals on Britain’s streets.

That figure represents nearly 19 per cent of the 1.96 million arrests recorded over the period, despite non-UK-born individuals making up around 16 per cent of the population.

Data supplied by almost 90 per cent of the forces surveyed indicates that migrants are overrepresented in arrest statistics relative to their share of the population.

More recent figures show that between April 2024 and March 2025, an average of 473 foreign nationals were arrested each day.

Harrison Pitt, Senior Policy Fellow at Restore Britain, said: “The fact that we already have problems of our own is no reason to import the problems of the world.”

“A patriotic government would immediately establish a tiered system of immigration.

“Any countries whose nationals are found to be overrepresented in British crime statistics, whether they hail from Afghanistan or Albania, should be forbidden from sending anyone else to our national home.”

He continued: “The safety of Britain’s host population ought to matter more than the hurt feelings of foreigners with no natural right to be here.”

Migrants Are Responsible for 80% of All Train Theft Arrests, New Data Shows – Immigration Debate Intensifies Across Britain

A controversial claim about railway crime has reignited Britain’s immigration debate after figures reportedly suggested that foreign nationals account for a substantial proportion of arrests connected with theft on the country’s rail network.

The figures have prompted renewed questions about railway security, policing priorities, immigration enforcement, and the government’s responsibility to protect passengers and public infrastructure.

However, the headline figure of 80% requires careful examination. Arrest statistics alone do not establish that migrants are responsible for 80% of all train thefts. Arrests are not the same as convictions, and nationality is not necessarily the same as immigration status.

Nevertheless, if the reported figures are accurate, they raise important questions about the nature of railway crime, the effectiveness of enforcement, and how authorities should respond to organised theft.

Railway Theft Becomes a Growing Public Concern

Britain’s railway network is one of the country’s most important transport systems, connecting major cities, towns, businesses, and communities.

However, theft on trains and railway premises can cause considerable disruption and financial losses.

Criminal activity can involve stolen passenger belongings, theft of railway equipment, cable theft, retail theft, and organised operations targeting vulnerable travellers.

For passengers, even relatively small thefts can have serious consequences.

Losing a mobile phone, wallet, passport, or laptop can create significant financial and personal difficulties, particularly for people travelling long distances or heading to work.

Railway operators also face costs associated with replacing stolen equipment, repairing damaged infrastructure, increasing security, and investigating criminal incidents.

As a result, railway theft is not simply a minor inconvenience. It can affect passenger confidence and the reliability of essential transport services.

What Does the 80% Figure Actually Show?

The most important question surrounding the reported statistic is how it was calculated.

An assertion that migrants account for 80% of railway theft arrests needs to be supported by detailed information about the dataset.

Several questions must be answered:

• • Does the figure relate to all railway theft arrests or only a particular category of theft?

• • Does it cover a specific railway operator, region, or the entire national network?

• • Does the term migrant refer to foreign nationals, asylum seekers, or people with a particular immigration status?

• • Does the statistic include repeat arrests?

• • How many people were subsequently charged or convicted?

These distinctions are essential.

A person arrested on suspicion of theft has not necessarily committed an offence. Some arrests do not result in charges, while others may end in acquittals.

Similarly, foreign nationality does not automatically mean someone is an asylum seeker or an irregular migrant.

Without the original dataset and a clear methodology, the 80% figure should not be presented as an established measure of responsibility for railway crime.

The Challenge of Organised Theft

One of the major concerns for railway authorities is organised criminal activity.

Some thefts are opportunistic, involving individuals taking advantage of crowded platforms or busy carriages.

Other incidents may involve organised groups targeting passengers, railway equipment, or commercial premises.

Organised theft can be particularly difficult to investigate because offenders may operate across different locations and transport networks.

British Transport Police has responsibility for policing the railway network and works with train operators and other agencies to investigate offences.

Its work includes identifying repeat offenders, investigating thefts, protecting passengers, and tackling organised criminal activity.

Improving cooperation between police forces, railway operators, and intelligence agencies is important in preventing theft and bringing offenders to justice.

Why Passengers Want Stronger Security

For ordinary passengers, the political debate matters less than whether they can travel safely.

People expect railway stations and trains to provide reasonable protection against theft, violence, and harassment.

Passengers travelling with expensive electronic devices or important documents can feel particularly vulnerable in crowded environments.

Older travellers, tourists, and people unfamiliar with the railway network may also face additional risks.

Railway operators therefore need to ensure that passengers can report incidents easily and that suspicious criminal activity receives an appropriate response.

Visible policing, CCTV, effective investigations, and better coordination between transport authorities can all contribute to safer journeys.

However, enforcement should be based on evidence and individual behaviour rather than assumptions about nationality.

Immigration and Crime: A Sensitive Political Debate

The reported statistic has the potential to intensify political arguments about immigration.

Immigration has remained one of Britain’s most controversial political issues, with debates covering border security, public services, housing, employment, and law enforcement.

Some politicians argue that immigration controls must be strengthened to prevent individuals who commit serious offences from remaining in the country unlawfully.

Others warn that crime statistics can be misinterpreted when nationality, immigration status, and individual circumstances are combined into a single category.

A responsible discussion must distinguish between individuals who commit crimes and the wider communities to which they may belong.

Criminal responsibility is individual.

A person should be investigated or prosecuted because there is evidence of their involvement in an offence, not because they were born in another country.

Equally, foreign nationals who commit serious offences should be subject to the same criminal justice procedures as other offenders, with immigration consequences considered where the law permits.

What Should the Government Do?

The government has several responsibilities in responding to railway crime.

First, it should ensure that British Transport Police has the resources and investigative capabilities necessary to deal with organised theft.

Second, railway operators should improve passenger reporting systems and cooperate closely with police investigators.

Third, official statistics should provide clear information about arrests, charges, convictions, nationality, and immigration status where such data is lawfully collected and statistically meaningful.

Fourth, repeat offenders and organised criminal networks should receive appropriate attention from law enforcement.

Finally, the government must ensure that criminal justice and immigration enforcement operate within established legal safeguards.

Transparency is particularly important when statistics are used in politically sensitive debates.

Publishing the underlying data would allow journalists, researchers, politicians, and the public to understand what the figures actually demonstrate.

The Importance of Reliable Crime Statistics

Statistics can be powerful tools for understanding crime, but they can also create misleading impressions when presented without context.

For example, an arrest statistic does not necessarily indicate the overall number of offences committed by a particular population.

It may reflect police activity, reporting patterns, repeat arrests, geographical concentration, or the particular type of offence being investigated.

To understand whether a particular group is disproportionately represented in railway theft statistics, researchers would need comparable data covering population size, relevant characteristics, offending patterns, and enforcement practices.

Without that information, drawing broad conclusions would be premature.

The public deserves accurate figures rather than political claims that cannot be independently examined.

Conclusion: Railway Security Deserves Facts, Not Assumptions

The reported claim that migrants account for 80% of train theft arrests has generated an important debate about crime, immigration, and public safety.

If the figure is accurate, it deserves detailed investigation and transparent explanation.

However, arrests must not be confused with convictions, and foreign nationality must not automatically be equated with irregular immigration status.

Britain needs an effective railway policing system that protects passengers, investigates theft, and tackles organised criminal networks.

At the same time, immigration policy and criminal justice decisions must be based on reliable evidence and individual circumstances.

Passengers deserve safe journeys, railway workers deserve protection, and offenders should face appropriate legal consequences.

The government should publish the underlying figures and explain precisely what they reveal.

Ultimately, the objective should be straightforward: safer trains, stronger enforcement against theft, transparent statistics, and equal application of the law.

A serious public debate about railway crime begins with facts. Without them, even a striking headline risks creating more confusion than understanding.