Asylum seekers far more likely to be arrested on railways, figures show

Official data suggests asylum seekers are significantly more likely to be arrested on Britain’s rail network than the wider population, according to figures released by the British Transport Police.

Statistics show that last year there were 7.88 arrests for every 10,000 asylum seekers on the railways. By contrast, the arrest rate for the rest of the population stood at 1.07 per 10,000 people, indicating a markedly higher rate among asylum seekers.

The figures, obtained through a freedom of information request, prompted renewed political criticism of the asylum system. Ministers were urged to take radical action following the release of the data, with calls for sweeping changes to current policy.

Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe said:

"Every single migrant who has entered illegally must be detained and deported. Then we must abolish the entire asylum system. That is how we make our transport system safe again."

The debate follows a recent court case involving an Iraqi asylum seeker (imaged) who was jailed last month after sexually assaulting a young woman at a railway station in Crawley. Hawre Mohamed, 27, targeted the 20-year-old victim on September 22 after noticing her at the station as she travelled home from college.

The court heard that Mohamed forced his way through ticket barriers before boarding the same Thameslink service as the student, where he told her, ‘I want to have sex with you’. CCTV footage shown during proceedings reportedly captured him smirking at the victim and giving her a thumbs up prior to the assault. Prosecutors also told the court he had spent the day attempting to approach random women.

British Transport Police defended their approach to enforcement, stressing that arrests are made based on evidence rather than background.

A BTP spokesperson said:

"As a police force we are required to uphold the law and every crime report we receive is treated objectively. Officers will continue to make arrests where necessary when someone is suspected of committing a criminal offence, in order to protect the travelling public and keep the railway safe."

Image: British Transport Police