Response to interpellation 2023/24:346 on the mandate for the Swedish National Anti-Crime Investigation Authority regarding the background of crime suspects
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the mandate for Brå regarding the background of crime suspects. M wants more detailed statistics to analyze the causes of crime and design effective measures 1. M argues that statistics show differences between regions and countries of immigration, but that socioeconomics, education, and norms also play a role. M considers the issues to be extraordinarily important and wants to use knowledge about the causes and patterns of crime to shape concrete political measures that safeguard citizens' safety through joint efforts. SD considers the current statistics to be too broad and that more detailed knowledge gathering at the national level is needed to counter crime earlier 2. SD argues that a failed immigration policy has affected crime 3.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)
Madam Speaker! Pontus Andersson Garpvall has asked me whether I and the government intend to task the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, Brå, with producing statistics on the national background of crime suspects.
In 2021, Brå published the results of the latest study on suspects for crimes among persons with foreign and domestic backgrounds, which included persons suspected of crimes during the period 2007-2018. The overall purpose of the study was to provide an updated picture of how the registered crime is distributed between persons with domestic and foreign backgrounds.
Like Brå's previous studies from 1996 and 2005, the report shows that persons with a foreign background have an over-risk of being suspected of crimes compared to those born domestically with two domestically born parents. When differences regarding age, gender, disposable income, education, and municipality type are taken into account, the over-risks decrease, but they do not disappear. The report also shows that the vast majority of individuals, regardless of background, have not been suspected of crimes.
The report also contains information on the proportion and number of suspects divided by birth regions and by the countries of birth from which there were at least 10,000 persons registered as residents in Sweden. There is thus information in the report on how large a number and proportion of those foreign-born from, for example, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia who were suspected of crimes.
Access to tailored and relevant knowledge and statistics is central for the judiciary and crime prevention actors to be able to conduct an effective operation. One of Brå's fundamental tasks is to be responsible for and develop the official crime statistics. An important issue for the government is how the authority works with statistics development to provide knowledge that is relevant and current. There are continuous needs both for managing and developing existing statistics as well as for producing new statistics. The production of new statistics, however, requires careful analyses regarding a number of different factors, such as usability and resource consumption. At the same time, the background of crime suspects is one of the areas where follow-up studies may need to be conducted at regular intervals. A dialogue is ongoing with the authority regarding this, and the government intends to return on how the issue shall be handled moving forward.
Pontus Andersson Garpvall (SD)
Madam Speaker! In Sweden, there is a lack of detailed statistics on the background of crime suspects. In 2021, Brå released its latest report on suspects' backgrounds. But the terms "foreign background" and "foreign-born" become, in my opinion, far too broad, as persons with backgrounds in countries where very few choose to commit criminal acts are lumped together with persons with backgrounds in countries where crime is much more common.
The report released in 2021 breaks down the figures at the regional level, but no further, which means that a more accurate assessment must be based on guesses about the suspects' backgrounds. The report is not bad in any way, and it was certainly about time that Brå looked at this issue again. But it simply could have been more detailed.
Let me highlight some figures from the report. It shows that between 2015 and 2018, persons born in Sweden with two domestically born parents were the group least represented in the crime statistics, at 3.2 percent. At approximately the same level were the figures for those whose background was in East Asia, the Nordic countries, Western Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
What stands out in the statistics, however, are the figures for those with a background in Africa. It can be noted that that part of the report only shows a four-year period, between 2015 and 2018. During this period, almost 20 percent, i.e., one-fifth, of all those with parents born in Africa were suspected of crimes.
People with a background from specifically Africa are divided into three regions, namely northern, eastern and other Africa. This concerns a continent with 54 countries. This complicates the understanding of the figures, even though we can state that immigration from there leads to crime in Sweden. Almost every fifth person with parents from there was suspected of a crime.
In the Netherlands, they collect more precise statistics at the national level. They also look at countries from which there are fewer than 10,000 people in the country. There, one can see that people with backgrounds in countries such as Angola, Somalia, and Sierra Leone are most frequently present in the crime statistics. It is a level of detail that we, therefore, lack in Sweden.
More detailed statistics would have given us a greater understanding of which groups in society most often choose a criminal lifestyle, which would have meant that we could have come up with more concrete measures to counter crime at an earlier stage than today. My view is that the more knowledge gathering we do and the clearer it is, the better opportunities we have to implement both preventive and reactive measures to create a safer Sweden.
In light of this, I would like to ask the Minister for Justice why he does not want to see a more detailed fact-finding in this matter.
Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)
Madam Speaker! I can answer that question very directly. It is not true that I do not want to see statistics at a more detailed level. But what the question concerned was whether I want to give a mandate to Brå to do this here and now.
My important point is that qualified data is of great significance regarding statistics, not least in this area. I want to note that Brå recently produced such a report. My starting point is also that this statistics should be updated at regular intervals. We are also conducting a dialogue with Brå on how this should be done in an appropriate, resource-efficient, and user-friendly manner.
I therefore wish to firmly correct the question, as it does not correspond with my position. I would like to see more statistics and preferably more detailed statistics.
Then perhaps we read the current report a bit differently. I also perceive that a breakdown is made by birth regions but also by birth countries in cases where there were at least 10,000 people registered as residents in Sweden. Then one reaches a certain level of detail even at the country level.
In addition to the regional divisions, it can be read from the report that the proportion of those suspected of crimes is highest among the groups born in Iran, Colombia, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, where it is between approximately 10 and 12 percent, and among those born in Eritrea, Somalia, and Afghanistan, where it is between 13 and 16 percent. The lowest proportion is among persons born in Germany, approximately 2.9 percent, Finland, 3.1 percent, and China, 3.1 percent.
I think it is excellent that we have such a basis. It is important for a number of different reasons. I believe it is important so that we can properly analyze crime, what it looks like in our society, and the causes of crime, and in the next step also so that we can weigh measures of different kinds so that they become effective and accurate.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues tonight. I also look forward to reaching, together with Brå, what is an appropriate way to continue with the important task of mapping crime from this perspective. Fundamentally, it can happen in different ways, either by Brå themselves providing proposals on how this should be done and taking on tasks or possibly through government mandates. We have a very constructive dialogue on that matter.
Pontus Andersson Garpvall (SD)
Madam Speaker! I thank you very much for the clarification from Gunnar Strömmer. I really appreciate that answer. It feels like we are on the same page on that issue. Perhaps it was my question in the interpellation that was a bit unclear, but it was good to receive this answer from you.
I have probably said this before in the chamber: It is the populations of countries, cities, and even neighborhoods that make areas what they are. And as the population composition in Sweden changes, which has happened, our societies also change fundamentally. That certain cities or neighborhoods have higher crime than others, I argue, is due to the fact that Sweden has pursued a failed immigration policy for a long period. The Sweden Democrats have pointed this out for a long time, and Brå's report from 2021 makes it very clear. Therefore, it was high time that they actually took action on this and produced an additional report on the issue.
We can look at other Western countries whose populations do not commit crimes to a greater extent in Sweden than Swedes do in Sweden. In their statistics, we see similar figures as in Sweden's. Persons from, for example, East Asia, the Nordic countries, and Western Europe are rarely present in the crime statistics, while persons from other parts of the world are more frequently present.
I do not want to sound generalizing. I am only stating facts derived from Brås report and reports from other parts of the world. If some think the facts are provocative or generalizing, they can have that opinion.
Part of the work to reduce crime is the crime prevention work, and specifically the gathering of knowledge regarding which groups, to varying degrees, commit crimes is an important part of that work. It is not only important for municipalities that perhaps work closest to those who are close to choosing a criminal lifestyle, but it is also important when Sweden designs its immigration policy on a national level.
If we had had this statistics available earlier than 2021, perhaps more would have realized what Brås report is clear about: that the immigration policy that Sweden has pursued for a long time has not been good for Sweden from a criminal policy perspective. And it is the remains from that time that the Sverigedemokraterna and the new government are now cleaning up with a sharpened immigration policy, sharpened penalties, and stricter requirements for those who have come to Sweden.
The concepts of foreign background and foreign-born are, in my opinion, very broad definitions for understanding the character of immigration. In Brå, one looks more at the regional level.
Did the Minister for Justice state that immigration from certain countries leads to higher crime than immigration from other countries, which Brås report also shows?
Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)
Madam Speaker! Yes, there is not much to concede. It is simply a matter of reading out, so to speak, what the statistics say. They show quite clearly that the level of crime, if one measures this based on suspicion of crime, differs to a very high degree both between different regions in the world and between different countries of immigration - in Sweden. I perceive these as rather undramatic figures which I also believe reflect patterns in other countries well.
Now, Brås' 2021 report is a statistical report. It does not analyze the underlying factors fundamentally. If one wants to know more about them, one must turn to other research. If one really wants to use this type of basis in a productive and goal-rational way in politics, one must probably be open to the fact that a number of different factors can interact in a relatively complex way.
It is clear that it is about parents' experiences from the country of origin, what experiences you yourself have from the country of origin, and for that part, what experiences you have in the new home country. It is about socioeconomic factors and mental health. There are definitely factors that have to do with norms and values - masculinity norms and honor norms. It is about education level, access to the labor market, and the degree of exposure in relation to criminal environments. There are a number of different factors that can influence this.
What I think is extremely important is that we are completely bold in our way of acquiring knowledge, analyzing knowledge, and debating the knowledge that is on the table, and that we then, to the best of our ability, try to use that basis to make wise and well-considered decisions.
It concerns the decisions we make within the framework of crime policy, but also to a great extent the decisions we make regarding social policy, integration policy, or economic policy. It also concerns other political decisions that affect the factors underlying crime.
I think that the work carried out at Brå in a number of different areas is beneficial. I can recommend everyone, both members of the Swedish Riksdag and citizens, to take part in the research bases produced by Brå. If I am to point out something else current and very formative for our understanding of ongoing crime, it is the study presented in the autumn concerning children and young people who are drawn into very serious crime. What emerges from that report, I believe to a large extent, will have major consequences for how we design interventions aimed specifically at children and young people who are drawn into really serious crime. It is thus yet another example of an excellent research base from Brå. I am convinced that we will also see more of that kind in the area that we are discussing here tonight.
Pontus Andersson Garpvall (SD)
Madam Speaker! It is very late. I am satisfied with the Minister's answer. I think it has been constructive. I have received answers to the questions I have asked. I look forward to upcoming reports from Brå that follow up on this. It feels good to hear that the Minister, just like I do, requests statistics that are as detailed as possible.
Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)
Madam Speaker! It is only 22:00 after all. I feel very fresh and alert. I can continue for a long time if the atmosphere and the citizens demand it.
But we must nevertheless conclude in a Solomon-like and unanimous manner and say that the questions we have discussed tonight are extraordinarily important. We shall, as said, have an open mind for all the knowledge we can obtain regarding the causes of crime and the patterns that exist in our society that affect this, so that we, with joint forces, can shape concrete political measures that can turn the social development and safeguard the safety and security of individual citizens, but also Sweden as a free and open society.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.