"In traffic (...) be prepared to take evasive action at any time"; "Do not leave any valuables visible in your vehicle, even while driving"; "Be discreet, avoid displaying flashy clothing and jewelry or displaying cash in public." On July 18, the website of the US embassy and consulates in France sent US citizens a "security reminder" about measures to observe when traveling to France, on the occasion of the Paris Olympics. Six days later, on Wednesday, July 24, the Internal Security Ministerial Statistical Office (SSMSI), a department of the French Interior Ministry, published an extensive study on "crimes and offenses against victims residing abroad" on its territory since 2016.
The findings shed light on a sharp rise in delinquency and crime against nonresidents of France, whether they are foreigners or, to a lesser extent, French but living abroad. In the latter case, those living in cross-border regions, mainly Switzerland, Belgium, Andorra, Luxembourg, and Monaco, make up the bulk of the victims.
While the American authorities focus on advising their nationals to keep a close watch on their property, the results of the SSMSI study show that the category of offenses targeting nonresidents that has increased the most is that of physical assaults. These offenses soared by 97% between 2016 and 2023, or an average of 10% more per year, a much more rapid increase than that of offenses targeting French residents (+57%, or an average of 7% per year).
In 2023, 1,200 acts of intentional assault and battery were recorded by the police and gendarmerie services, compared with 610 seven years earlier – information that is undoubtedly lower than reality due to the usual "dark figure" of unreported and unrecorded offenses. This increase also applied to the statistical category of sexual violence (+70%, or +8% on average per year for the same period), with 570 events recorded in 2023, compared to 340 in 2016.
Unlike for other types of violence, this growth has remained lower than that recorded for acts committed against residents (+119%, or 12% per year on average between 2016 and 2023). According to the SSMSI, this gap can be explained by the "improved reception of victims by police and gendarmerie services," which primarily benefits French nationals, thanks to the movement advocating "speaking freely."
Nonresident victims of physical or sexual violence are found mainly among people living in a bordering country (68%), including the UK and the Netherlands. In this category, the French represent a significant proportion, around a third.
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