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dc.titleImmigration, Crime, and Crime (Mis)Perceptions
dc.contributor.authorAjzenman, Nicolás
dc.contributor.authorDomínguez, Patricio
dc.contributor.authorUndurraga, Raimundo
dc.contributor.orgunitMigration Unit
dc.coverageChile
dc.coverageLatin America
dc.date.available2020-10-06T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2020-09-29T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractDoes immigration affect crime or beliefs about crime? We answer this question in the context of Chile, where the foreign-born population almost tripled in five years. To identify a causal effect, we use two strategies: a two-way fixed effects model at the municipality level and a 2SLS model, which is based on immigration toward destination countries other than Chile. First, we show that immigration increases concerns about crime and public security. We then document a substantial effect on behavioral responses such as investing in home-security or adopting coordinated anti-crime measures with neighbors. Finally, we show that these concerns about crime seem ungrounded as we fail to find any significant effect on victimization. When exploring potential channels, we find suggestive evidence of the effect being driven by municipalities with a larger number of local radio stations per capita. We also find that the effect seems to be larger when the composition of immigrants is relatively low-skilled. Finally, using an index of bilateral ethnic distance to measure ethnic-related intergroup threat, we show that the genetic distance between Chileans and the nationality of immigrants does not drive any effects.
dc.format.extent38
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0002714
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Immigration-Crime-and-Crime-MisPerceptions.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectCrime and Violence
dc.subjectCrime Rate
dc.subjectCriminal Activity
dc.subjectMigration and Migrant
dc.subject.jelcodeO15 - Human Resources • Human Development • Income Distribution • Migration
dc.subject.jelcodeF22 - International Migration
dc.subject.keywordsCrime;Immigration;crime perception;crime beliefs
dc.typeDiscussion Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-DP-00808
idb.operationRG-T3473
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