02.09.2010 - Oslo

The Proportion of Criminals with European Background Grows Rapidly

In four years, the proportion of foreigners in Norwegian prisons has increased by over ten percent. Those coming from three European countries make the largest group.

Photo : Chmee2 | After the recent European countries joined European Union, beggars from Eastern Europe started to come to Oslo. Begging is not crime but the increasing in organized crimes among the European-origin foreigners is high.

Lithuanian citizens make the largest group of the foreigners involved in crime in Norway, and the 77 Lithuanians are currently jailed. Poland is in second place with 72. On the other hand, the highest increase in three years occured among Romanians. In 2007, a total of 17 Romanians was jailed in Norway. However, the number rose to 163 in two years.

Police Officer Ingelin Green said to Aftenposten that many would continue to come here to commit theft as long as there is so much difference between rich and poor countries in Europe. She also noted the problems are the same in Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

-Older people experience brutal robbery, but I am also concerned about burglary in housing that can provide lifelong harm because it does something to do with the people's confidence, " said she.

The police director stated that many of them come to beg and it is not crime but the increase of criminals among these groups coming from Europe is huge and worrisome.

Proportion of Criminals

Norway 2357

77 Lithuania

72 Poland

65 Romania

50 Nigeria

45 Netherlands

46 Iraq

29 Albania

25 Sweden

22 Iran

16 Denmark

Highest Increase in crime cases from 2005 to 2009

Romanian: from 29 to 430

Polish: from 306 to 444

Lithuanian: from 179 to 429