PJ Director: Immigration does not equal higher crime
Data shows that in 2023, foreign nationals accounted for 27% of all detainees in Portugal (465 out of 1,716), two percentage points lower than in 2022.
The Director of Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária (Judiciary Police, PJ), Luís Neves, emphasized in Parliament on Wednesday that there is no direct link between immigration and crime.
He clarified that a foreign national detained in Portugal is “not necessarily an immigrant.”
Neves presented data showing that in 2023, foreign nationals accounted for 27% of all detainees in Portugal (465 out of 1,716), two percentage points lower than in 2022.
However, he stressed that this figure includes all foreigners, not just immigrants. "An immigrant is a foreigner, but a foreigner is not necessarily an immigrant," he explained.
He explained that many foreign nationals in Portuguese prisons are not immigrants but individuals who entered the country to commit crimes (e.g. drug mules, who were caught at airports, but are not immigrants in Portugal).
Furthermore, courts tend to impose pretrial detention on foreign nationals more often due to flight risk, though this does not mean they are convicted at higher rates than Portuguese citizens.
Neves dismissed the notion that certain nationalities, such as Pakistani or Indian, have higher crime rates, stating, “Quite the opposite.”
He also pointed out that documented migrants who are integrated into society are less likely to commit crimes, as they have invested heavily in their future in Portugal.
Concerns Over Rising Crime Rates
While dismissing a link between immigration and crime, Neves raised concerns about the rise in homicides as a consequence of domestic violence, calling it a “national shame.”
In 2023, Portugal recorded 26,041 cases of domestic violence, part of a significant upward trend of 28% over recent years.
He also highlighted an alarming surge in hate crimes, which increased by over 9,000% between 2011 and 2023.
Additionally, drug-related offenses reached a record high last year, with 7,550 cases, prompting concerns over the introduction of potent drugs like fentanyl, which caused nearly 100,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2024.
Cybercrime has also skyrocketed, with reported cases nearly tripling in five years, from 11,607 in 2018 to 32,033 in 2023.
Neves concluded by reinforcing that misinformation fuels fear and hate crimes, urging a data-driven approach to crime analysis rather than assumptions about immigration.
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