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Does Immigration Cause Crime? Evidence from Spain

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  • César Alonso-Borrego
  • Nuno Garoupa
  • Pablo Vázquez

Abstract

The relationship between crime and immigration has been a matter of controversy in the United States and around the world. This paper investigates empirically the case of Spain. From 1999 to 2009, Spain had a large wave of immigration from different areas of the globe. At the same time, crime rates increased. However, in comparison with other European countries that received similar massive immigration waves during the same period, crime rates in Spain increased less considerably. We show that there is a significant relationship between crime and immigration. Nevertheless, the explanation is found in the specific characteristics of the different immigrant groups, particularly in the amount and type of human capital, which result is largely in tune with the previous studies on U.S. immigration and crime. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.

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  • César Alonso-Borrego & Nuno Garoupa & Pablo Vázquez, 2012. "Does Immigration Cause Crime? Evidence from Spain," American Law and Economics Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 165-191.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:amlawe:v:14:y:2012:i:1:p:165-191
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    Cited by:

    1. Malte Sandner & Pia Wassmann, 2018. "The Effect of Changes in Border Regimes on Border Regions Crime Rates: Evidence from the Schengen Treaty," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(3), pages 482-506, August.
    2. Sanchis-Guarner, Rosa, 2023. "Decomposing the impact of immigration on house prices," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    3. Sandra V. Rozo & Therese Anders & Steven Raphael, 2021. "Deportation, crime, and victimization," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 141-166, January.
    4. Lange, Martin & Sommerfeld, Katrin, 2024. "Do refugees impact crime? Causal evidence from large-scale refugee immigration to Germany," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    5. Ramón Rey & Günther G. Schulze & Nikita Zakharov, 2024. "Transit Migration and Crime: Evidence from Colombia," Discussion Paper Series 44 JEL Classification: J1, Department of International Economic Policy, University of Freiburg, revised Jan 2024.
    6. Mariani, Fabio & Mercier, Marion, 2021. "Immigration and crime: The role of self-selection and institutions," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 538-564.
    7. Rosa Sanchis-Guarner, 2014. "First-Come First-Served: Identifying the Demand Effect of Immigration Inflows on House Prices," SERC Discussion Papers 0160, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    8. Wassmann, Pia, 2016. "Do Open Borders Tempt a Saint? Evidence from Schengen on Crime Rates in German Border Regions," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145878, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    9. Ildefonso Mendez & Isabel Cutillas, 2014. "Has immigration affected Spanish presidential elections results?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(1), pages 135-171, January.
    10. Paolo Pinotti, 2017. "Clicking on Heaven's Door: The Effect of Immigrant Legalization on Crime," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(1), pages 138-168, January.
    11. Rozo, Sandra V. & Anders, Therese & Raphael, Steven, 2020. "Deportation, Crime, and Victimization," GLO Discussion Paper Series 545, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    12. Golin, Marta & Romarri, Alessio, 2022. "Broadband Internet and Attitudes Towards Migrants: Evidence from Spain," IZA Discussion Papers 15804, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Giovanni Mastrobuoni & Paolo Pinotti, 2015. "Legal Status and the Criminal Activity of Immigrants," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(2), pages 175-206, April.
    14. Rosario Crinò & Giovanni Immordino & Salvatore Piccolo, 2018. "Fighting Mobile Crime," DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza def071, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    15. Ibanez, Ana Maria & Rozo, Sandra V. & Bahar, Dany, 2020. "Empowering Migrants: Impacts of a Migrant's Amnesty on Crime Reports," IZA Discussion Papers 13889, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Rita Maghularia & Silke Uebelmesser, 2019. "Do Immigrants Affect Crime? Evidence from Panel Data for Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 7696, CESifo.
    17. Amaia Palencia-Esteban, 2022. "Immigration, childcare and gender differences in the Spanish labor market," Working Papers 610, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    18. Ryan Abman & Hisham Foad, 2022. "Border Walls and Crime: Evidence From the Secure Fence Act," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 167-197, April.
    19. Rosario Crinó & Giovanni Immordino & Salvatore Piccolo, 2021. "Criminal mobility, fugitives, and extradition rules," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 23(1), pages 69-104, February.
    20. Leiva, Mauricio & Vasquez-Lavín, Felipe & Ponce Oliva, Roberto D., 2020. "Do immigrants increase crime? Spatial analysis in a middle-income country," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    21. Shiyun Zhang, 2022. "Immigration and Crime in Frictional Labor Markets," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 44, pages 152-183, April.
    22. Pia Wassmann, 2016. "Do open borders tempt a saint? Evidence from Schengen on crime rates in German border regions," ERSA conference papers ersa16p539, European Regional Science Association.
    23. Anika Ludwig & Derek Johnson, 2017. "Intra-Eu Migration and Crime: A Jigsaw to be Reckoned with," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(6), pages 854-868, December.
    24. Aldo Pignataro, 2021. "Becoming member of the European Union: What is the relationship with the robbery rate?," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 533-558, May.
    25. Maghularia, Rita & Uebelmesser, Silke, 2023. "Do immigrants affect crime? Evidence for Germany," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 486-512.

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