Foreigners account for high share of Paris transport crimes

New government data reveals that foreigners are responsible for a significant portion of crimes committed on public transport in the Île-de-France region. According to statistics from the French Ministry of the Interior and SSMSI data files, foreigners accounted for 87 percent of simple thefts on public transport in the Paris region and 60 percent of robberies.

In terms of sexual violence on public transport in Île-de-France, foreigners represent 61 percent of suspects. Nationally, the figures remain high, with foreigners accounting for approximately 76 percent of simple-theft suspects and 71 percent of all theft suspects on public transport.

The data highlights specific overrepresentation among certain groups; for example, Maghrebi nationals account for roughly 40 percent of theft suspects in transport nationwide, despite making up approximately 2 percent of the national population. The Ministry of the Interior also noted that organized criminal networks often exploit unaccompanied minors to carry out these crimes.

While these figures show a high concentration of foreign nationals among suspects, overall crime levels in public transport have seen a decline. Total recorded victims of theft, violence, or payment fraud nationwide in 2025 was 104,880, a 2 percent decrease from 2024 and a 22 percent decrease since 2016.