Immunity allows officials living in the UK to allegedly avoid charges over offences such as child pornography and human trafficking

Diplomatic officials working in Britain have allegedly used their immunity to avoid prosecution for serious criminal offences including child pornography and human trafficking, Boris Johnson has told parliament.

The foreign secretary published a list of 11 “serious and significant offences” allegedly committed by people with diplomatic immunity in the UK in 2015, as well as an update on minor offences and traffic fines avoided by officials.

A Mexican official is accused of taking indecent photographs of a child and threatening the child. Another allegation relating to the same country includes claims an individual showed a 13 to 15 year-old pornography. The Foreign Office would not confirm whether both incidents related to the same person.

There was an allegation of human trafficking into the UK for domestic servitude, and a separate claim of human trafficking, slavery or forced labour, both relating to Saudi Arabian officials.

Where diplomats are alleged to have committed serious crimes, the Foreign Office asks their government to waive diplomatic immunity, and where this is not granted they can ask the diplomat to leave the UK. But this means that in effect serious offenders are allowed to quietly leave without facing trial.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “The UK government expects all foreign diplomats to abide by UK laws at all times and we take a firm line with diplomatic missions and international organisations whose diplomats commit offences. All alleged offences are investigated by the police or other law enforcement agencies.

“In the case of the most serious alleged offences, the diplomat in question would be immediately withdrawn from the country unless they cooperate with any investigation under a waiver of immunity granted by their mission.”

The Guardian understands that two diplomats were asked to leave the UK in 2015, and a further dependant of a diplomat was stripped of protections, which could help the police prosecute.

A spokeswoman for the NSPCC said: “Nobody should be above the law when it comes to child sexual abuse crimes. It is important that the public see justice be served, and those who commit such appalling offences are brought to book.”



An estimated 22,500 people in the UK are entitled to diplomatic immunity. The Foreign Office defines serious crimes as offences that carry a jail term of a year or more, as well as serious driving offences.

The other incidents listed include driving without a licence or drunk-driving, and an allegation of aggravated bodily harm by a diplomat from Gabon.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police, the force most likely to investigate allegations of such crimes since Britain’s diplomatic community is based in London, said that although it is responsible for passing cases to the Foreign Office, it could not provide details of any of them.

The list is published every year. It was revealed last year that a Saudi diplomat was alleged to have owned a gun. Also, a Saudi diplomat was alleged to have developed malware for fraud. In 2013, the list included an allegation of child abduction by a Pakistani official and another of domestic rape by a diplomat from Zambia.

Other documents published by the foreign secretary revealed that diplomats have run up £96m in unpaid congestion charge fees for driving in central London, and more than half a million pounds in outstanding parking fines in London alone.

The US tops the list for unpaid congestion charges, with £10.6m in outstanding bills. The US position is that the congestion charge is a tax and that it is therefore exempt, the US ambassador to Britain, Matthew Barzun, told LBC last year.

Boris Johnson has history when it comes to tackling the issue: in 2011 when he was mayor of London, he reportedly asked Barack Obama for a £5m cheque to cover some of the bill, before an ambassador intervened.

The embassies of Japan, Nigeria and Russia all have bills for unpaid congestion charges totalling more than £5m each.

Paul Cowperthwaite, Transport for London’s general manager for congestion charging, said: “We are clear that the congestion charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it.

“We continue to pursue all unpaid congestion charge fees and related penalty charge notices.”