Just one in 13 foreigners who took part in the riots of 2011 have been deported, it has emerged.
More than 200 foreign criminals were convicted for their part in the riots, which saw shops looted, businesses burnt to the ground and hundreds of millions of pounds of damage done.
Of the 201 cases passed to the UK Border Agency, only 15 have been kicked out the country, showed figures released to the Daily Mail following a Freedom of Information request.
Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: "Any foreign national who abuses the privilege of coming to the UK by committing a serious offence should face the consequences.
"Many of those convicted of involvement in last summer's riots are still behind bars - that's where they belong. We are pursuing deportation in scores of cases and wherever possible, when they have paid their debt to society, we will remove them from the UK."
Some 28 have been given permission to stay because they "do not meet deportation criteria", while a total of 63 are still in prison or in immigration detention awaiting deportation. Three others have been allowed to remain after legal appeals.
Another 53 are classed as "still being considered for deportation", while there are 31 who have been given temporary admission while their cases are considered. And three convicted foreign rioters have absconded after failing to comply with bail conditions, while five others are still waiting to be sentenced.
Burglary, robbery, theft, criminal damage and disorder were among the offences committed.
The UK Border Agency set up Operation Lancaster to track and remove foreign offenders involved in "serious criminality" during the riots in August 2011. The Government said it is determined to remove law-breakers from the country at the earliest opportunity.
The rules state that any non-EU national sentenced to more than 12 months in prison will be automatically recommended for deportation at the end of their sentence, while EU nationals will be considered for deportation when sentenced to 24 months or more.
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