Britain risks a repeat of the grooming gang scandal or last summer’s riots if police do not share the ethnicity or immigration status of dangerous suspects, it was warned last night.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp responded to concerns that Warwickshire police ‘covered up’ the backgrounds of two Afghan asylum seekers involved in the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton.
The Mail on Sunday yesterday reported the force advised councillors and officials not to reveal the background of the suspects for fear of ‘inflaming community tensions’.
It is believed they thought unrest would break out like that seen in Epping, Essex, where an Ethiopian asylum seeker staying in a hotel was charged with trying to kiss a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
Warwickshire Police has defended its position, saying it was following national policy in not sharing ethnicity or immigration status.
Mr Philp, a former policing minister, said: ‘The police must be open about who is committing these alleged offences, and not try to hide it.
‘Otherwise, we risk a repeat of the rape gang scandal where horrendous crimes were covered up because of the identity of the perpetrators. I also call on the Government to ensure that the immigration status and nationality of all offenders is published for each crime, and as quarterly totals. The public rightly expect complete honesty.’
Councillor Stephen Shaw, deputy leader of Reform-controlled Warwickshire County Council, told the Daily Mail: ‘We don’t have any personal information on these men and we don’t know what’s happening with them until something bad happens.
‘We need to get rid of these migrant hotels and houses of multiple occupancy [HMO] housing asylum seekers which are making our streets unsafe.
‘You would think after Southport where police were more conscious about releasing personal information to prevent protests and rioting they would do the same here, but instead there appears to be a cover-up. It’s two-tier policing. It’s disgusting.’
Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, both 23, are accused of involvement in the attack on July 22.
Mulakhil has been charged with rape while Kabir has been charged with kidnap, strangulation and aiding and abetting an assault.
Mulakhil is said to have arrived in the UK on a small boat and both are believed to have been living in HMOs.
A Warwickshire Police spokesman said: ‘Once someone is charged with an offence, we follow national guidance. This guidance does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status.’
However critics pointed out that in May, Merseyside Police quickly released information that a man arrested after allegedly ploughing into crowds celebrating Liverpool FC’s victory parade was a ‘white British man from the Liverpool area’.
Reform MP Lee Anderson yesterday claimed the police were ‘trying to cover up again’.
Writing on X, he said that in Liverpool ethnicity information was released almost immediately and ‘they [Warwickshire Police] really aren’t doing themselves any favours’.
Last night, George Finch, the 19-year-old Reform leader of Warwickshire council, said initial reports of Mulakhil’s charge had ‘caused unease locally as residents have very easily been able to join the dots’ and they ‘can see that they have not been told the full story’.
Mr Finch warned: ‘The continued cover-up of the true nature of Ahmad Mulakhil’s immigration status risks public disorder breaking out on the streets of Warwickshire.
‘I am disgusted that one year on from the social unrest that we saw in parts of the UK in 2024, the Home Office and police have clearly not learnt any lessons from the handling of similar incidents last year.’
Labour’ tinkering around the edges’ with latest crackdown
Harriet Line, Deputy Political Editor
Labour has been accused of ‘tinkering around the edges’ with its plans to crackdown on small boat crossings.
The Home Office has announced measures to get tough on smuggling gangs, despite more than 25,000 illegal arrivals so far this year – but the Tories branded them ‘a series of gimmicks’.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper this weekend unveiled plans to introduce sentences of up to five years in prison for anyone who advertises small boat crossings or fake passports on social media.
She said she would introduce a fast-track scheme to tackle the asylum backlog, with a new law to overhaul the appeals system, in a bid to get decisions on cases within weeks.
And today, the Home Office will announce £100 million of extra funding to support the pilot of the new ‘one in, one out’ returns agreement between the UK and France. It will also pay for up to 300 more National Crime Agency officers and new technology and equipment to step up intelligence gathering on smuggling gangs.
And there will be more overtime for immigration compliance and enforcement teams as well as funding for interventions in transit countries.
The deal, agreed last month, means the UK will be able to send migrants back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with links to Britain.
But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the announcements. He told the Daily Mail last night: ‘This weak Labour Government has come up with a series of gimmicks to grab headlines instead of fixing the issue. Tinkering around the edges which will make no real difference.
‘There have been more than 25,000 illegal crossings so far this year, making it the worst year in history. Labour has failed and their laughable claim to smash the gangs lies in tatters. They have no serious plan, just excuses, while ruthless criminal gangs flood our borders with illegal immigrants.’
A No 10 source hit back: ‘The Tories focused on headlines and gimmickry, we’re focused on what works.
‘Through our returns deal with France, investment in a border security and speeding up returns, we’re making steady progress.’
