FOREIGN nationals have accounted for 60% of sexual assault arrests and 73% of violent robbery arrests in Catalunya over the past year, according to new figures released by the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police).
The data, contained in a report prepared by the Generalitat’s General Directorate of Police and obtained by El Español, also showed that foreigners were responsible for more than 84% of theft arrests across the region in 2025.
The report breaks down arrests by nationality groups, separating Spaniards from broader regions including Africa, America, Asia, Oceania, the rest of the European Union and stateless persons.
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In cases of robbery involving violence or intimidation, police recorded 5,335 arrests of foreigners compared with 1,968 arrests of Spaniards, meaning foreign nationals represented 73% of all arrests linked to the offence.
The figures were even more striking among suspects from Africa. The report recorded 3,899 arrests of Africans for violent robberies alone, almost double the number of Spaniards arrested for the same crime.
A similar trend appeared in theft cases. Police made 6,806 arrests of foreigners for theft offences, compared with 1,269 Spaniards, meaning foreigners accounted for 84.3% of arrests in this category.
The largest group came from Africa, with 3,145 arrests linked to theft offences.
The report also highlighted the same pattern in some of the most serious violent crimes.
In sexual assault cases, 1,008 arrests of foreigners and 664 arrests of Spaniards were recorded, meaning foreign nationals accounted for just over 60% of the total.
For homicide and murder cases, including attempted offences, foreigners made up 55% of arrests, with 190 detainees compared with 155 Spaniards.
Foreign nationals were also responsible for the majority of arrests linked to assault offences and threats. Police recorded 1,063 foreign arrests for assault-related crimes compared with 738 Spaniards.
In threats offences, the figures stood at 1,870 foreigners and 1,425 Spaniards.
The pattern extended to vehicle thefts as well. Among those arrested, 917 were of African origin compared with 469 Spaniards.
Catalunya currently has a population of around eight million people. Foreign nationals make up 18.7% of residents, while Spanish citizens account for 81.3%.
Despite representing less than a fifth of the population, foreigners accounted for the majority of arrests in several categories analysed by the report.
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