Fear of crime in the age of migration

Fear of migrant crime is rife today. In a survey study conducted in six Austrian cities, more than half of the urban population reports being very or fairly worried about crimes committed by foreign nationals. This proportion exceeds the rate of residents who feel unsafe on the local streets or who are afraid of serious types of crime significantly - a discrepancy that points to an expressive nature of the fear of migrant crime. The fact that fear of foreigner crime is more than just fear of offenses committed by people with a visible migration background is also apparent from its etiology. This fear is nurtured by migration phobia, economic anxieties and a sense of incivility. Personal victimization does not have an effect that is worth noting. Path analyses corroborate an explanatory model according to which fears of falling or concerns about losing one's socioeconomic position and perceptions of disorder give rise to a diffuse migration panic that is enmeshed with anxieties related to crime committed by foreign nationals.