Foreigners Now Make Up Most Arrests in the Basque Country

Foreign nationals account for nearly two-thirds of all arrests in Spain’s Basque Country so far this year, according to a new report published by the region’s police force. The data—covering the first nine months of 2025—show that 64.2% of the 5,230 people detained were of foreign origin, with their share rising even higher in violent robberies and sexual offences.

The police recorded 3,358 foreign detainees compared with 1,870 Spaniards, in a region where immigrants make up just 14.1% of the population. The imbalance between population share and crime statistics has reignited debate over migration management and security policy at both regional and national levels.

Among the most alarming cases are robberies with violence or intimidation, where foreigners—mostly from North Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe—account for almost eight out of ten arrests. Of the 437 arrests recorded, 293 were North African citizens, according to official data.

The Basque police link the trend to repeat-offender groups operating in densely populated urban centres, particularly in Bilbao, where rising street crime has become the public’s top concern. In crimes against sexual freedom, foreigners represent two-thirds of those arrested. In homicide and related offences, they account for 60%. By contrast, offences such as driving under the influence are dominated by EU nationals.

The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), governs the region in coalition with the Socialists (PSOE), has defended the decision to publish the report as an exercise in transparency. “We want to provide an accurate picture of criminal reality to improve prevention,” said Iñigo Ansola, PNV leader in the province of Biscay.

However, the measure has generated intense political debate. The Basque Socialist Party has claimed that such statistics “could contribute to stigmatizing certain groups,” while the right-wing VOX and the centrist People’s Party (PP) are urging the government to keep the new reporting system in place as a matter of accountability.

The publication itself followed a parliamentary question from VOX demanding crime data broken down by nationality. The regional government eventually acknowledged it had “changed its criteria” in response to political and social pressure. Since then, daily police briefings have included detainee information by region of origin—North Africa, the rest of Africa, Latin America, and Europe—a format the Security Department says “offers a more complete understanding of criminal activity.”