New figures from the Catalan police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, are currently sparking heated debate across Spain about migration, security and crime. An internal report from the Directorate General of Police shows that foreign nationals accounted for a large share of arrests in Catalonia in 2025 across several serious offences. The proportion is particularly striking in cases of robbery, theft and sexual offences.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
According to the report, around 73 per cent of all arrests for robbery involving violence or intimidation involved foreign suspects. The proportion is also particularly high in cases of theft, at over 84 per cent. Even in sexual offences, foreigners accounted for around 60 per cent of all arrests, according to police statistics. The figures have sparked debate because foreign nationals make up only around 18.7 per cent of Catalonia’s total population, according to official demographic data.
Security Situation in Barcelona Increasingly in Focus
In Barcelona and the wider metropolitan area of the Catalan capital, the security situation has been one of the dominant political issues for months. Spanish media are increasingly reporting knife attacks, assaults in metro stations, and organised pickpocketing in tourist areas. Just a few days ago, the Mossos d’Esquadra launched an intensified crackdown on knives and weapons in public spaces after several serious violent incidents were recorded within just 72 hours.
Particularly striking are the figures relating to violent crime. According to the police report, a total of 5,335 foreign suspects were arrested for robberies involving violence or intimidation, compared with 1,968 Spanish nationals. Individuals of African origin appear particularly frequently in the statistics. Around 3,900 arrests in this category alone were attributed to this group, according to the report.
Barcelona Remains a Hotspot for Theft
The trend is even more pronounced in cases of conventional theft, which particularly affects tourists in Barcelona. According to police data, 6,806 arrests involved foreign suspects, while only 1,269 involved Spanish nationals. Barcelona has long been regarded as a European hotspot for pickpocketing and street crime. Organised theft groups are particularly concentrated around La Rambla, metro stations and well-known landmarks such as the Sagrada Família.
Reports last year already indicated that in Barcelona, almost 80 per cent of all arrests involved foreign nationals. In cases of theft, the proportion is said to have been even higher.
Sexual Offences and Serious Violent Crimes are also Affected
The latest figures also show a clear overrepresentation of non-Spanish suspects in cases of sexual offences and serious violent crime. According to police statistics, authorities recorded 1,008 arrests of foreign nationals for sexual offences, compared with 664 arrests of Spanish citizens. In cases of homicide and manslaughter, including attempted killings, foreign suspects accounted for around 55 per cent, according to the report.
The Debate on Migration and Integration is Becoming Increasingly Heated
The figures have reignited Spain’s political debate. Critics of the current migration policy see them as a clear sign of integration problems and are calling for tougher measures against foreign repeat offenders. In particular, the right-wing party VOX has been demanding faster deportations of repeat offenders and stricter border controls for months.
At the same time, experts and criminologists point out that the published figures must be interpreted with caution. The data refers to arrests, not convictions. They also stress that social factors such as poverty, lack of prospects, poor integration, precarious living conditions and organised gang structures play an important role. Young men, regardless of their background, are also generally more likely to appear in crime statistics.
Despite these caveats, the debate on migration and security in Spain is likely to become even more heated in light of the latest figures. In particular, in Barcelona and Catalonia, the issue has long since become a central point of political contention.
