More than 80% of thefts in Switzerland involve people with foreign passports.

Context

TL;DR

• 7.956 people convicted of theft last year
• More than 80% had a foreign passport
• Around 1.500 convicted people were Swiss
• Confederation and Cantons task force against repeat offenders

Key facts

• Convicted of theft → 7,956 last year
• Nationality in statistics → indicated from 2024
• Swiss convicts → approximately 1,500
• Foreign passport → over 80%
• Permanent resident population → approximately two thirds of those convicted with foreign passports are not part of it

The photograph of the convictions

Last year 7,956 people were convicted of theft in Switzerland. It is the central data of the new statistics on criminal sentences from the Confederation, which places thefts alongside road crimes among the categories that collect a large part of the convictions. The data was reported by SRF. The shortening of the days marks the start of the apartment burglary season.

ZHAW criminologist Dirk Baier considers the figure high, but not unexpected. In the SRF «Tagesschau», he defined theft as a significant and often underestimated area of ​​crime.

In essence, theft represents a significant area of ​​crime, but it often remains underestimated.

Crime statistics also show that two thirds of crimes are property crimes. Examples include bicycle theft, bag theft and burglary.

Nationality and residence

From 2024 the statistics indicate the nationality of those convicted for each crime. In the case of the thefts, around 1,500 convicted people were Swiss, while more than 80% had foreign passports. Among the nationalities particularly represented are those of Algeria and Romania. Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of those convicted with foreign passports are not part of the permanent resident population.

Finally, the source distinguishes two groups indicated by Baier: asylum seekers and criminal tourists. For the former, it recalls a situation that may include few prospects and little money; for the latter it talks about people who arrive in Switzerland knowing that objects are not always well protected and that attention may be insufficient. According to the SEM, the Confederation and the cantons have set up a taskforce for the asylum sector. With regard to repeat offenders, the taskforce uses every instrument provided by law to detain them until their departure. However, the SEM specifies that only a small minority of asylum seekers commit crimes. The Federal Council expects further tightening of the asylum procedure.

Operational details

Three filters for reading the statistics

For people living in Switzerland, the number acquires a precise meaning only if three elements are considered together: the alleged offense, the judicial outcome and the nationality indicator. The short formula in the headline does not replace the complete data.

Conviction, passport, residence

The first filter is the word convicted. The 7.956 people are presented in the Confederation's new criminal judgments statistics as having been convicted of theft last year. The total should therefore be cited with this category. The source places thefts and traffic offenses among the largest categories of convictions, but does not turn the number of people convicted of theft into a general total for crime.

The second filter concerns the passport. More than 80% of those convicted of theft had a foreign passport, while around 1.500 were Swiss. The indication of nationality for each offense is a new feature of the statistics as of 2024. Algeria and Romania are identified as particularly represented nationalities, without the text reporting the number of people convicted for each. The correct wording therefore remains what is available: a particularly strong presence, not a numerical ranking.

The third filter is residence. Around two thirds of those convicted with a foreign passport are not part of the permanent resident population. Passport and permanent residence thus describe two different elements of the same data. For a national reading, this distinction prevents the two categories from being automatically conflated.

The same caution is needed when discussing public responses. Baier distinguishes asylum seekers and criminal tourists; SEM reports a task force established by the Confederation and Cantons for the asylum sector and emphasizes that only a small minority of asylum seekers commit crimes. The task force is described as operational with regard to repeat offenders, while the further tightening measures are still attributed to the Federal Council's plans. The source indicates neither a date nor the content of such tightening measures. The reader can therefore distinguish what is presented as an established measure from what is presented as a political forecast. For aspects unrelated to criminal statistics, costo della vita in Svizzera should be consulted separately.

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Key points

How to check the data before using it

Practical sequence for the reader

A reader who comes across a headline on the subject can verify the news by following the source’s sequence, without adding unpublished numbers or categories.

1. Identify the measure. Ask whether the number concerns people convicted of theft in Switzerland, as in the figure of 7.956 convictions from last year. 2. Check the period. The source refers to last year and specifies that nationality has been indicated for each offense since 2024. These indications must not be replaced with a different date. 3. Separate the figures. About 1.500 convicted persons were Swiss; over 80% had a foreign passport. These are the two numerical pieces of information available for comparison, to be reported together. 4. Add residence. About two thirds of those convicted with a foreign passport were not part of the permanent resident population. This step avoids presenting a passport as synonymous with residence. 5. Distinguish the responses. For the asylum sector, SEM indicates a task force of the Confederation and the cantons. Regarding repeat offenders, it uses every legal possibility to detain them until their departure; the Federal Council, on the other hand, plans further tightening of the asylum procedure.

This sequence is not an administrative procedure for someone who has suffered a theft: the text does not indicate forms, offices to contact, deadlines or instructions for citizens and residents. It is a way to avoid confusing statistics, groups and measures. The reader may also remember that SEM describes the minority of asylum seekers who commit crimes as small, while Baier points out difficulties in countermeasures against criminal tourists. This distinction too belongs to the source and does not warrant broader conclusions about people with foreign passports.

For economic services separate from the dossier, the guide to busta paga svizzera is available. To move from general reading to your own situation, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: tio.ch