German Police Report Rise in Crime Among Turkish Asylum Seekers

WISE NEWS PRESS / BERLIN, GERMANY — DEC. 10, 2025

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has reported that among all groups seeking asylum in Germany, Turkish citizens recorded the highest relative increase in crime rates during 2024.

While the overall number of crimes involving immigrants decreased by 3.6 percent compared to the previous year, the BKA's "Crime in the Context of Migration" report highlights a distinct upward trend in offenses committed by Turkish nationals.

General Decline in Migrant Crime

The report defines "immigrant suspects" as asylum applicants, those with protection status, and those whose applications have been rejected. In 2024, this group accounted for 8.8 percent of all general crimes committed in Germany. The total number of immigrant suspects fell from 178,581 in 2023 to 172,203 in 2024.

The demographics of these suspects remain consistent, with more than half being under the age of 30 and over three-quarters being male. The most common offenses were property and forgery crimes (12.3 percent), followed by crimes against life (12.2 percent) and theft (12.1 percent).

Sharp Increase Among Turkish Nationals

Turkish citizens ranked fifth among the top nationalities for crime suspects, following Syrians, Ukrainians, Afghans, and Iraqis. However, while other groups saw stabilizations or declines, Turkish asylum seekers saw a 25.8 percent increase in crime rates compared to 2023.

This rise occurred as the number of Turkish citizens seeking asylum in Germany grew from 144,150 in 2023 to 148,535 in 2024.

The report detailed significant spikes in specific crime categories for this demographic:

• Sexual Offenses: While Syrians ranked first in total numbers, Turkish nationals showed the highest relative increase at 53 percent.

• Theft: Despite a general 5.8 percent decrease in theft among asylum seekers, theft by Turkish suspects surged by 47.1 percent.

• Crimes Against Personal Freedom: Offenses involving brute force or restriction of freedom rose by 39.3 percent among Turkish suspects.

• Property and Forgery: Crimes in this category increased by 21.8 percent for this group.

Organized Crime Statistics

The BKA also analyzed organized crime, noting a 9.4 percent increase in immigrant suspects in this sector year-over-year. Approximately 7,000 immigrant suspects were recorded in organized crime in 2024, representing about 13 percent of all suspects in this field. Nearly half of these offenses were related to drugs, while 18.1 percent involved human smuggling. Turkish citizens ranked fourth among suspects in organized crime, behind nationals from Syria, Albania, and Lebanon.

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