Charles Hymas

After 20 years as a senior newspaper executive, The Telegraph’s Home Affairs Editor Charles Hymas returned to frontline journalism and his first love: getting scoops. His investigations have forced the government and party leaders to rethink their approaches to immigration, crime and free speech. 

In an eight-month investigation, he exposed multiple examples of criminals and illegal migrants using human rights laws to avoid deportation. His work was cited as a reason for Labour announcing law changes to curb judges’ powers in such cases and the Tories pledging to leave the EHRC.

Through assiduous use of Freedom of Information laws, he was the first journalist to reveal

the levels crime committed by foreign nationals, prompting Labour and the Tories to propose rival plans to record such data. His campaigning work on non-crime hate incidents has raised awareness and debate, and his investigation into potential abuses of the family visa route for refugees led to the suspension of the scheme.

Hymas has led The Telegraph’s seven-year campaign to protect children from online harms, which came to fruition via landmark laws to block under-aged children from accessing harmful content. He was also the first journalist to reveal Labour is considering social media curfews for children.

Judges’ comments: “Charles Hymas' entries are superb examples of high quality, original reporting on important topics of national interest.”