More than 900 foreign criminals including murderers, robbers and rapists are on the loose in the UK

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THE Government has lost more than 900 foreign criminals including murderers, over 50 robbers and almost 40 rapists and sex offenders, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

 Many of the foreign crooks are subject to deportation orders with the number of those missing rising by more than 160 in two years. 

They have avoided authorities' clutches by escaping from jails, prison vans or disappearing after release into the community. 

The Home Office data, released under Freedom of Information laws, show there are 916 foreign criminals who are listed as absconders. 

They include 16 rapists, including child attackers, 20 sex offenders, 53 robbers, 16 burglars, 53 violent criminals, murderers and 65 thieves. 

One of those absconders includes a prison escapee who fled 29 years ago, while 547 of the number fled in the last five years. It is thought they include 38-year-old Rezgar Zengana, who posed as a private hire taxi driver to pick up his 25-year-old victim before raping her at a house in Glasgow in 2006.

It is thought absconders include 38-year-old Rezgar Zengana, (pictured) who posed as a private hire taxi driver to pick up his 25-year-old victim before raping her at a house in Glasgow in 2006

The Iraqi national, who features on the National Crime Agency's most wanted list, was convicted for the rape but fled before sentencing. 

He was last thought to be hiding in Holland though authorities have not been able to locate the criminal. It was also revealed that as of June this year there are another 33,357 foreign nationals who are of interest to immigration enforcement who have disappeared. 

Yet spending to tackle immigration enforcement has dropped by £40million in two years despite Home Secretary Priti Patel's tough rhetoric on kicking out foreign crooks.

 In 2019 it was recorded that 747 foreign criminals were missing. And in a damning report in June 2017, Chief Inspector of Borders David Bolt revealed officials had lost track of 753 foreign criminals who faced deportation and that the team trying to find them had only 11 staff. 

It was also revealed that as of June this year there are another 33,357 foreign nationals who are of interest to immigration enforcement who have disappeared. Yet spending to tackle immigration enforcement has dropped by £40million in two years despite Home Secretary Priti Patel's (pictured) tough rhetoric on kicking out foreign crooks

Campaigners have told of their shock that the number has risen markedly in the last two years. 

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK. said: 'The number of absconders is shocking. 

'It is symptomatic of the shamefully short-sighted starving of immigration enforcement resources since 2018.

 'These dangerous thugs should be detained and removed, not given the freedom of the UK. The public have had enough.' 

Alp Mehmet, (pictured) chairman of Migration Watch UK. said: 'The number of absconders is shocking. 'It is symptomatic of the shamefully short-sighted starving of immigration enforcement resources since 2018'

The shocking figures come after it was revealed another 10,882 foreign criminals who are subject to deportation are living in the community as of June this year. 

A Home Office spokesman said: 'Foreign criminals should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them, and since January 2019 we have removed 8,441 foreign national offenders.

'We have a dedicated national absconder tracing team working with the police, other government agencies and commercial companies to track down and bring absconders back into contact with the Home Office. '

'We never giving up trying to trace absconders and we have significantly improved the way we collect data on people leaving the UK in recent years. 

'Absconders who have left the UK can be traced overseas and their status would be flagged should they try to re-enter, thereby preventing them from ever returning to the UK.'