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Empowering Migrants: Impacts of a Migrant's Amnesty on Crime Reports

Author

Listed:
  • Ibanez, Ana Maria

    (Inter-American Development Bank)

  • Rozo, Sandra V.

    (World Bank)

  • Bahar, Dany

    (Brown University)

Abstract

How can the regularization of approximately half a million migrant's impact crime reports in hosting areas? To identify the effects of this large amnesty, we match confidential administrative data on the location of undocumented migrants with department-monthly data from crime reports and compare crime outcomes in departments that were granted different average time windows to register for the amnesty online, before and after the amnesty roll-out. We document that the regularization caused a reduction of domestic crime and an increment on sexual crime reports. Both results are in line with qualitative evidence suggesting that the regularization empowered migrants to report crimes against them and also improved their mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • 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).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13889
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Urbina, Maria José & Moya, Andres & Rozo, Sandra V., 2023. "The Fine Line between Nudging and Nagging: Increasing Take-up Rates through Social Media Platforms," IZA Discussion Papers 16521, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    migration; crime; regularization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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