On Knife Crime in the West, By Richard Miller (Londonistan)
The escalating crisis of knife/machete crime across Europe and Australia paints a grim picture of societal unrest, with migrants often at the centre of the storm, fuelling both statistical spikes and public fear. In Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, a 2024 report highlighted a chilling reality: knife crime has surged by 37 percent over the past decade, with nearly half of the suspects—48.3 percent—being foreigners, despite them making up only 15.5 percent of the population.
This stark overrepresentation, detailed in a study by the state's interior ministry, underscores a troubling trend where 8,951 knife-related incidents were recorded in 2023 alone, claiming 68 lives and injuring thousands. The data reveals a particular concentration of these crimes among young male migrants, often aged 21 to 34, from regions like the Middle East and North Africa, where cultural clashes and economic despair may drive violent behaviour. Criminologists note that these groups face systemic barriers—limited access to labour markets, housing, and social integration—compounding their risk of criminality.
In Sweden, the situation is equally dire, with violent migrant crime shattering the nation's once-placid reputation. Since 2018, Swedish authorities have recorded over 500 bombings and a record 124 homicides in 2020, many linked to migrant-heavy areas. A 2020 study by sociologist Göran Adamson found that non-native-born individuals were 2.5 times more likely to be crime suspects than native Swedes, with knife attacks, property crimes, and sexual assaults showing significant spikes. The 2016 New Year's Eve assaults in Cologne, where hundreds of women reported attacks by migrant men, remain a haunting benchmark, igniting widespread anti-immigrant sentiment and far-right political gains across the continent.
The narrative in Germany and Sweden echoes a broader European pattern. In the Greek islands, a 2023 study using police records revealed that a 1-percentage-point increase in the refugee population led to a 1.7 to 2.5 percent rise in crime incidents, driven by property crimes, knife attacks, and rape, though drug-related offences remained unchanged. These crimes were predominantly committed by refugees, not natives, highlighting the strain of mass migration from conflict zones like the Middle East.
In the UK, the issue of knife crime has also been tied to migrant communities, though data is often obscured by politically sensitive reporting. Migration Watch UK reported in 2023 that asylum seeker-related violence, including a Moroccan migrant's fatal stabbing of a 70-year-old in Hartlepool, has shaken communities, with similar incidents in France and Brussels involving Chechen and Libyan migrants. These high-profile cases fuel narratives of migrant-driven crime waves, yet they also expose a darker undercurrent: non-German victims in Germany, for instance, rose by 15.2 percent in 2023, with a 19.1 percent increase among those with "immigrant status," suggesting that migrants are also disproportionately victimised, often too fearful to report crimes due to distrust in authorities.
In Australia, the picture is less stark but no less concerning. A 2024 article from The Conversation notes that knife crime hasn't risen as sharply as in the UK or Canada, with overall crime declining since 2009 and homicide rates remaining stable. Yet, knives remain the most common weapon in homicides from 2010 to 2023, and high-profile incidents—like the Bondi Junction attacks and the Wakeley stabbing of Bishop Mari Emmanuel—have stoked public fears of an epidemic. Recent data from the National Homicide Monitoring Program indicates an increase in the proportion of homicides involving knives, even as overall numbers hold steady. Robberies with knives, conversely, have not increased, despite a significant drop in total robberies. A 2018 study on youth knife crime in Victoria, conducted by Youth Activating Youth and Victoria University, found that young people, including those from migrant backgrounds, often carry knives out of fear, not intent to harm, with many having been victims or witnesses to violence themselves. The study highlighted cultural identity and lack of opportunity as key drivers, particularly among disadvantaged multicultural youth, though specific migrant groups weren't singled out as primary perpetrators.
The contrast between Europe and Australia is stark. Europe's knife crime surge is deeply entangled with the migrant crisis, where systemic failures in integration, coupled with cultural and economic alienation, create a volatile mix. The raw numbers—34 percent of knife attack victims in North Rhine-Westphalia being non-German—cannot be ignored, nor can the 761 gang rape cases reported in Germany in 2023, nearly half involving foreign suspects, as cited by politician Friedrich Merz. In Australia, the issue feels more contained, with knife crime driven by broader social issues rather than a migrant-specific wave. Historical fears of migrant criminality, like the 1970s "Greek conspiracy" case, have often been overblown, with studies consistently showing lower crime rates among first-generation migrants. But the fear persists, amplified by media coverage of isolated, high-profile stabbings, often ignoring the systemic roots—like poverty and lack of opportunity—that affect both migrants and natives alike. As well, as the recent machete attacks, and the ban of machetes in Victoria shows, there has been a complete lack of nerve to deal with issue of gang violence, with governments choosing to paper-over-the cracks by banning the weapons used. As always a different weapon will be used following the ban, and the problem remains unsolved.
This disparity exposes a bitter truth: knife crime, while statistically linked to migrant populations in Europe, is a symptom of deeper societal fractures—inequality, distrust, and cultural alienation—that fester unchecked. As the world grows more divided, the blade becomes a grim symbol of our failure to bridge the gap between us, leaving us all to "bleed" in the aftermath.
"Knife crime is plaguing Germany, and in the country's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, it already rose sharply in 2023. Now, the latest figures for 2024 show this worrying trend is continuing, along with other serious crimes.
The state interior minister, Herbert Reul (CDU), said that there were 7,296 knife crimes last year, an increase of 20.7 percent. That comes after a 44 percent increase in 2023. These crimes include both the use of a knife and crime involving a threat of a knife, according to police data.
Like many other serious crimes, approximately half of the suspects are foreigners, equating to 47.6 percent. In the state, foreigners make up only 16.1 percent of the population. Germans, in turn, are often victims of these crimes, with 60.1 percent of all victims having German citizenship while 39.9 percent are foreigners.
As always, these statistics can be highly misleading, as many German citizens are foreigners who recently received citizenship or have a foreign background, however, Germany does not usually keep statistics about the foreign background of German citizens. One of the strategies used to ascertain how many foreigners are involved in a crime is to request the first names of criminals. In North Rhine-Westphalia, gang rapes, for instance, are revealing. Supposedly half of all gang rapes are committed by foreigners, but when the first names of suspects are revealed, it becomes clear that at least 75 percent of suspects have foreign names.
Interior Minister Reul, despite being the interior minister for years and overseeing a long-term trend towards more knife crime, says the police will now take action to stem the trend.
"I hope that we will see the first positive effects here in the coming year and that this knife violence will be curbed. Otherwise, we will have to make adjustments," he said.
Notably, already last year in August, Reul presented a ten-point plan to tackle knife violence in public spaces. It appears that this plan has not worked.
It should be noted that crime, overall, is done 1 percent, however, this is a misleading figure. The biggest drop was seen in drug offenses, down over 30 percent, and this may have to do with the fact that the state legalized marijuana.
When it comes to serious crimes, they have seen increases nearly across the board, including murder and manslaughter (1.9 percent), assault (1.7 percent), burglary (5.2 percent) and domestic violence (1.9 percent).
In contrast, many other serious crimes have continued to increase. This applies to cases of murder and manslaughter (plus 1.9 percent), as well as cases of assault (plus 1.7 percent), domestic violence (plus 1.9 percent), and burglary (plus 5.2 percent).
Over a ten-year period, there has been a 20 percent increase in violent crime. Foreigners account for 41.8 percent of suspects in violent crimes.
Foreigners account for nearly half of all murder and manslaughter suspects, as well as half of all robberies. They represent a third of all domestic violence cases.
Reul described the violent crime statistics as a "sad state of affairs."
"What doesn't work elsewhere – education, schools, integration – ultimately ends up with the police. This also means: The statistics reveal the state of our society – of us," he said."
Comments