28 May 2024
Every year, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) publishes its police crime statistics (PKS). According to the PKS released in April 2024[1], the number of criminal offenses registered by the police in 2023 increased by 5.5 percent compared to the previous year. A particular focus of the media coverage of this year’s statistics: 41 percent of suspects do not have a German passport and are overrepresented. However, it is important to consider that the category ‘non-Germans’ in the PKS also includes offenses under immigration law that can only be committed by foreigners, such as illegal entry or residence.
One of the consequences of the published statistics was a public debate that primarily centered on a supposed correlation between crime and origin. The German media and the political right are currently focusing in particular on suspects from Muslim countries.