Romanians come second on the list of foreign nationals arrested by police for serious crimes, police have revealed. Nearly 28,000 have been held for serious offences in London over the past five years, including violence and sex crimes. That is the equivalent of 15 Romanians being held by the police every day. There are only estimated to be 68,000 living in the UK. It puts Romania second only to Poland in the list of countries with the most citizens arrested in London – but there are around half a million Poles in Britain. Pickpocket: Romulous Rostas, 18, and his family preyed on train passengers as they slept. They built five mansions in Romania, right, and spent proceeds on designer clothing and luxury cars . The figures have caused concern ahead . of the dropping of border controls next year. From January, Romania’s . 21million inhabitants, along with seven million Bulgarians, will obtain . free access to Britain. Both countries have been members of . the EU since 2007 but from January 1 their citizens will have full . rights to live and work in the UK. Critics of mass immigration have . warned it could mean 50,000 arrivals every year for the first five years . – the equivalent of a city the size of Newcastle upon Tyne. Research . suggests they would be eight times better off working in a minimum wage . job here compared with staying at home. 27,725 Romanian nationals were arrested in connection with: . Number of Romanians in jail: . Sir Andrew Green, of Migration Watch . UK, said: ‘It is a matter of real concern that there should be such a . substantial degree of criminality among those Romanians who have already . come to Britain despite the treaty limitations on their right to work.’ But Romania’s prime minister, Victor . Ponta, has said his compatriots ‘will not rush’ to Britain next year. The figures on criminality among foreigners were released by Scotland . Yard under the Freedom of Information Act. Since 2008, 27,725 Romanian citizens . have been held for serious offences in London. That includes ten for . murder, 142 for rape and 666 for other sex offences. In the last five years, 34,905 Poles . have been detained by the force, including 84 for murder. Lithuanians . were the third most frequently arrested foreign nationals in the . capital, with 18,594 being held. A spokesman for the Romanian Embassy . said only 624 Romanians were in prison in the UK. He added that the Met . figures are for ‘suspects’ and that in many cases arrests will not lead . to convictions. Last April a family of Romanian pickpockets who stole to build ‘palaces’ in their homeland were jailed. Romania's Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, has said his compatriots 'will not rush' to Britain next year . The Rostas family preyed on train . passengers as they slept on late-night trains going out of London, . stealing hundreds of mobile phones and cash. They also targeted tourists . in the West End of London. The family were living on benefits in . Britain and pocketed hundreds of thousands of pounds by stealing from at . least 185 victims over two years before selling on the phones in . Romania for huge profits. They built five mansions in Romania . and also spent the proceeds of their crimes on designer clothing, gold . jewellery and luxury cars. Brothers Romulous Rostas, 18, and . Marin Rostas, 25, their cousins Cornell Rostas, 22, and Govinder Rostas, . 17, and another family member, Robert Rostas, 23, admitted conspiracy . to steal. The adults received jail sentences . ranging from three years and three months to 18 months, while Govinder . Rostas was given a 12-month detention and training order. Judge Peter Clarke, QC, expressed his shock at their ‘deep-rooted criminality’.
Romanians came second on the list of foreign nationals arrested by police .
Poles came top in the list but there are half a million in the UK .
Figures will cause concern ahead of relaxing of border controls next year .
Romanian prime minister said his compatriots will 'not rush' to Britain .
Romanians come second on the list of foreign nationals arrested by police for serious crimes, police have revealed. Nearly 28,000 have been held for serious offences in London over the past five years, including violence and sex crimes. That is the equivalent of 15 Romanians being held by the police every day. There are only estimated to be 68,000 living in the UK. It puts Romania second only to Poland in the list of countries with the most citizens arrested in London – but there are around half a million Poles in Britain. Pickpocket: Romulous Rostas, 18, and his family preyed on train passengers as they slept. They built five mansions in Romania, right, and spent proceeds on designer clothing and luxury cars . The figures have caused concern ahead . of the dropping of border controls next year. From January, Romania’s . 21million inhabitants, along with seven million Bulgarians, will obtain . free access to Britain. Both countries have been members of . the EU since 2007 but from January 1 their citizens will have full . rights to live and work in the UK. Critics of mass immigration have . warned it could mean 50,000 arrivals every year for the first five years . – the equivalent of a city the size of Newcastle upon Tyne. Research . suggests they would be eight times better off working in a minimum wage . job here compared with staying at home. 27,725 Romanian nationals were arrested in connection with: . Number of Romanians in jail: . Sir Andrew Green, of Migration Watch . UK, said: ‘It is a matter of real concern that there should be such a . substantial degree of criminality among those Romanians who have already . come to Britain despite the treaty limitations on their right to work.’ But Romania’s prime minister, Victor . Ponta, has said his compatriots ‘will not rush’ to Britain next year. The figures on criminality among foreigners were released by Scotland . Yard under the Freedom of Information Act. Since 2008, 27,725 Romanian citizens . have been held for serious offences in London. That includes ten for . murder, 142 for rape and 666 for other sex offences. In the last five years, 34,905 Poles . have been detained by the force, including 84 for murder. Lithuanians . were the third most frequently arrested foreign nationals in the . capital, with 18,594 being held. A spokesman for the Romanian Embassy . said only 624 Romanians were in prison in the UK. He added that the Met . figures are for ‘suspects’ and that in many cases arrests will not lead . to convictions. Last April a family of Romanian pickpockets who stole to build ‘palaces’ in their homeland were jailed. Romania's Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, has said his compatriots 'will not rush' to Britain next year . The Rostas family preyed on train . passengers as they slept on late-night trains going out of London, . stealing hundreds of mobile phones and cash. They also targeted tourists . in the West End of London. The family were living on benefits in . Britain and pocketed hundreds of thousands of pounds by stealing from at . least 185 victims over two years before selling on the phones in . Romania for huge profits. They built five mansions in Romania . and also spent the proceeds of their crimes on designer clothing, gold . jewellery and luxury cars. Brothers Romulous Rostas, 18, and . Marin Rostas, 25, their cousins Cornell Rostas, 22, and Govinder Rostas, . 17, and another family member, Robert Rostas, 23, admitted conspiracy . to steal. The adults received jail sentences . ranging from three years and three months to 18 months, while Govinder . Rostas was given a 12-month detention and training order. Judge Peter Clarke, QC, expressed his shock at their ‘deep-rooted criminality’.
Romanians come second on the list of foreign nationals arrested by police for serious crimes, there are around half a million Poles in Britain. dropping of border controls next year. From Ponta, has said his compatriots ‘will not rush’ frequently arrested foreign nationals in the . his compatriots 'will not rush' to Britain next