Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Locked Up
These are the countries that imprison the most foreigners
There are around 1,200 Irish nationals imprisoned abroad.
IN THE UNITED Arab Emirates, a whopping 92.2% of the prison population is made up of foreigners.
Figures from the Institute for Criminal Policy Research show the UAE has the highest share of foreign prisoners in the world. As the chart below shows, it is closely followed by Monaco and Qatar.
By contrast, just 5.5% of the US prison population is foreign.
In Irish prisons, non-Irish EU nationals account for 11.5% of prisoners, or 1,540. There are 281 African nationals. 1.5% are Asian and 52 are from central or southern America.
The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas estimates there are around 1,200 Irish nationals imprisoned in foreign countries. Most are in UK prisons, but the council works with families of prisoners in more than 30 countries around the world.
have your say