The relationship between migration and delinquency is not only a perpetual subject of the political debate, but it is also an intensively discussed topic in criminological enquiry. This research used detailed public statistics to analyze crimes committed by refugees in Switzerland from 2009 to 2015. Despite the recent refugee migrations into Switzerland from the Middle East, there has been a distinct decline in the crime rates. While the asylum population grew rapidly during that period, the number of registered offenses both relatively and in absolute numbers decreased. This work analyzes these statistics, then presents the findings from a survey of refugees residing in Eastern Switzerland (N = 78), which was conducted in April 2016. Finally, it provides criminological reflections on the presented results, which shall facilitate the identification of prospects and risks related to future crime trends, as well as a discussion of possible implications for crime policy.

Migration Crime policy Crime trends Asylum Refugees

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