I May Be an Immigrant, but I Am Not a Criminal: Examining the Association Between the Presence of Immigrants and Crime Rates in Europe

Immigration is a contentious topic that continues to elicit debates among scholars, practitioners, and the general public. Research on the relationship between immigration and crime has been at the center stage of social science inquiry for many years; however, the evidence is mixed. The aim of the present study is to supplement prior efforts to better understand the immigration–crime nexus. By analyzing aggregate-level data obtained from 21 European countries, we assessed the effects of three types of variables—percent of immigrants, immigrants with no citizenship, and refugees—on three different types of violent crimes. Overall, the results indicated a null relationship between immigration and crime, suggesting that immigration is unrelated to all the three types of crimes assessed. Based on these results, it is recommended that immigration-related policies will be based on fact and evidence, and not on sentiments and perceptions.