Unaccompanied child asylum seekers relatively often suspected of crimes
Last year, 3 percent of all asylum seekers in Dutch reception centers were suspected of a crime. Notably, the group of unaccompanied children is overrepresented in this figure, with 8 percent of minor asylum seekers who are in the Netherlands on their own being suspected of a crime, RTL Nieuws reports based on the new incident monitor by the WODC, the Ministry of Justice and Security’s scientific research center.
Of the unaccompanied children suspected of a crime last year, almost a third were involved in an incident at the reception location. The WODC thinks this is because there is more supervision at shelters for unaccompanied children, causing incidents to be noticed and registered more frequently. Their overrepresentation may also be due to their background, age, and the circumstances at the location.
"They are primarily adolescent boys, aged fifteen to eighteen. That is a group that also pushes the boundaries in terms of age. And we generally know that the combination of a young age and being male increases the likelihood of engaging in criminal behavior. Add to that the fact that these are adolescents without parents who have been through a lot. That doesn't excuse it, but it is certainly a group that needs a lot of guidance to avoid going down the wrong path,” WODC researcher Sanne Noyon said.
In total, the police recorded 7,515 crimes in which an asylum seeker was the suspect last year. That is nearly a quarter more than a year earlier. But because the number of asylum seekers also increased by 6 percent, the WODC says it cannot determine what caused the increase in the number of recorded crimes. Last year, 112,745 people lived in reception centers run by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) - the highest number ever.
Most of the recorded incidents happened at asylum shelters. The COA recorded 17,750 incidents of violence and aggression, compared to 16,740 a year earlier. This also includes people threatening to harm themselves.
The majority of crimes outside asylum shelters, 64 percent, involved property crimes. Shoplifting was most common. In 16 percent of cases, an asylum seeker was suspected of a violent or sex crime. 15 percent of cases involved vandalism or public order disturbances. Seven asylum seekers were suspected of murder or manslaughter.
“I think it is important that we realize that this concerns a small group. That may not be the image that sticks when you look at what appears in the news. But it is a small minority of COA residents who come into contact with the police,” said Noyon.
Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian asylum seekers are overrepresented in the incidents. 33 percent of Algerian asylum seekers were suspected of a crime. As were 31 percent of Moroccan asylum seekers and 25 percent of asylum seekers from Tunisia. According to the WODC, in general, young men and asylum seekers with little chance of obtaining a residency permit are more likely to be suspected of a crime.
