Rabat - Moroccans comprise the highest percentage of foreign prisoners kept in prison across Spain, according to the most recent data released by Spain’s Ministry of Interior.
The recent figures estimate the number of prisoners of Moroccan origin held in Spain in 2014 at 5,257 out of 19,697 foreign prisoners, local media reported.
Moroccans are locked up in Spain for crimes such as drug trafficking, assault, and theft, the same source added.
With this rate, Moroccans top the list of foreign prisoners in Spain, followed by Romanians (2,170 prisoners) and Colombians (2,001 prisoners).
Overall, the data noted that there are prisoners of 30 different countries behind bars in Spain, adding that 5,589 of them are male while 4,432 are female.
The data said that 1,643 prisoners are aged between 41 and 61, 1,332 are aged 31 to 40 years, while only 42 are below 20 years old.
Spain now has the highest rate of imprisonment in the European Union. In 1980, the country’s prison population was around 18,000. It is now close to 80,000.
With 166 prisoners per 100,000 (above the United Kingdom’s 153 per 100,000), Spain is currently locking up more than 7,000 people a year out of a population of 46 million.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission
The post Moroccans, Largest Foreign Prison Population in Spain appeared first on Morocco World News.