Immigration Enforcement and Crime
- (pp. 205-09)
Abstract
Immigration enforcement has ambiguous implications for the crime rate of undocumented immigrants. On the one hand, expulsions reduce the pool of immigrants at risk of committing crimes, on the other they lower the opportunity cost of crime for those who are not expelled. We estimate the effect of expulsions on the crime rate of undocumented immigrants in Italy exploiting variation in enforcement toward immigrants of different nationality, due to the existence of bilateral agreements for the control of illegal migration. We find that stricter enforcement of migration policy reduces the crime rate of undocumented immigrants.Citation
Pinotti, Paolo. 2015. "Immigration Enforcement and Crime." American Economic Review, 105 (5): 205-09. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20151040Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- J18 Demographic Economics: Public Policy
- K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law