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Ministers Press Police to Publish Suspects’ Nationality and Asylum Status

Current policing guidance bars routine disclosure of suspects’ ethnicity and immigration status; an accelerated Law Commission review will produce updated media-relations guidance by autumn.

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LONDON, ISLINGTON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2025/08/02: A Police liaison officer confronts an anti immigrant demonstrator during the demonstration. Residents protested under the banner 'Thistle Barbican needs to go locals say no'. Right-wing groups and 'Stand up to Racism' held counter-protests outside the hotel, with police ensuring separation. The demonstration was in response to reported crimes by hotel residents and ongoing tensions over migrant accommodation. Early in the afternoon, a group identified as ANTIFA arrived and remained in the centre of the road, prompting police to first move them to the designated protest area and subsequently use force to arrest individuals who did not comply. (Photo by James Willoughby/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have publicly urged police forces to routinely disclose suspects’ nationality and asylum status to enhance transparency.
  • College of Policing guidance currently omits ethnicity and immigration details, leaving disclosure decisions to chief constables under contempt of court constraints.
  • The Law Commission’s accelerated review of media-relations and contempt rules is under way, with updated guidance due by this autumn to clarify permissible disclosures.
  • His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke warned that withholding suspect details risks misinformation and allegations of two-tier policing.
  • Warwickshire Police admitted withholding the immigration status of two men charged over the alleged Nuneaton rape, prompting “cover-up” accusations from Reform UK figures.