Scottish police interpreter requests revealed
Scotland's justice system is being pushed to the brink by the "consequences of failed immigration" after data revealed that thousands of foreign suspects are demanding translators in police cells.
It has led to claims that cops are being bogged down dealing with red tape instead of patrolling the streets due to the struggles created by language barriers - with the financial burden reaching almost £2 million in the past four years.
And a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Daily Express now shows that at least 2,500 requests for interpreters were made in 2024. The actual figure is likely to be much higher, with the figure only accounting for the top five languages.
Eastern European languages topped the list with the highest number of requests being for a Polish translator, something that happened 945 times. It was followed by Romanian (574), Arabic (435), and Albanian (273).
It comes at a time the national force is already facing severe funding cuts by the SNP Government meaning officers are no longer able to properly patrol the streets or even investigate some crimes.
Officer numbers have plummeted to historic lows during the SNP's 19 years in power with frontline cops being forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops to secure translators.
Reform UK's Thomas Kerr, who is standing in the Glasgow Ballieston and Shettleston seat at next month's Scottish election, slammed the "disproportionate strain" being placed on an already broken system.
Mr Kerr said: "This FOI lays bare the scale of the pressures facing Scotland’s justice system. Nearly 2,500 requests for interpreters from foreign suspects is not a minor issue, it raises serious questions about integration and the growing cost burden on taxpayers.
"Reform UK believes in a fair but firm system, one where those who come to this country integrate into our society and do not place disproportionate strain on already stretched services."
According to a previous FoI, the cost of translation services for Police Scotland in 2024 was £699,582. That is higher than both 2022 (£613,553) and 2023 (£468,540). Between January 1 2022 and May 2025, Police Scotland spent £1,884,837 on translators.
Requests were made for over 80 languages in 2024 alone, including for Gaelic. There were 255 instances where the language recorded was "English" with Police Scotland explaining that custodies often ask for an interpreter after they are charged, having previously used English. But the national force said there was "currently no way to identify the language used by the interpreters involved".
Mr Kerr added: "The Scottish public deserve a justice system that puts their interests first, not one that is constantly firefighting the consequences of failed immigration."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have a statutory duty to provide an interpreter for anyone who requires it."
