Data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office revealed that 67% of the country’s 9,297 prison inmates in 2023 were foreign nationals. This trend has persisted for decades, with the proportion of foreign prisoners tripling since the 1980s.
The prison population remains predominantly male, with men accounting for 90.6% of inmates. Women make up just 9.4%. Many prisoners are serving sentences for minor crimes, such as petty theft, or are incarcerated for failing to pay fines.
While the exact breakdown of foreign prisoners for 2023 is unavailable, past statistics show that Algerians and Romanians were among the most represented groups in 2020. A significant portion of the prison population consists of non-EU nationals, despite Switzerland hosting a large number of European residents.
The steady increase in overall prison numbers has placed additional strain on Switzerland’s justice system. Critics argue that lenient immigration policies have contributed to the high percentage of foreign inmates and rising incarceration rates.
Switzerland’s situation mirrors that of other European countries. In Germany, foreigners make up over half the prison population, costing billions in taxpayer money annually. These statistics have fueled debates about immigration reform and public safety.
As Switzerland continues to grapple with the challenges of integrating foreign residents and maintaining public order, the high rate of foreign prisoners raises questions about the balance between immigration policies and national security.
