Explain and expose the myth about immigration

On average, refugees and undocumented immigrants commit rather minor theft, fake and other “subsistence crimes” than migrant workers and locals, since they are forbidden to work in the country of arrival, and still have to support themselves until their legalization process is complete. After the inclusion of eight new states in the European Union in 2004, the number of such crimes in Great Britain fell thanks to the fact that many migrants could suddenly legalize their status and find work.

In a similar way, Italy saw the number of repetition breaks in the EU in the EU after the accession of Romania and Bulgaria by criminals from these countries. This effect was much more pronounced in the north of the country, since the agricultural economy of the south and documented migrants with more opportunities for informal employment offered, and these crime rates were initially lower.

Violence crime is not influenced by a simpler legalization procedure for foreign legalization, since the first generation immigrants generally violate the law less likely. However, the crime rates increased by second generation migrants (born in the host country). In this regard, the data for Europe and the USA begin too differently.

In the United States, the second generation immigrants will only come together with the local population. The third generation corresponds to the locals, whereby the crime rates between these migrants correspond to those of the diaspora that lives throughout the country.

In Europe, on the other hand, second generation migrants commit more crimes than both migrants and native of the first generation. According to a study from 2010, the Netherlands arrested 2.2% of the boys (18 to 24 years) against 4.4% of children of migrants in the same age group. Denmark observed a similar trend: In 2006, 1.4% of the Danes aged 15 to 45 committed at least once a crime, while for the second generation of migrants from non -western countries, the proportion was 5.4%.

This phenomenon is referred to as “downward assimilation”: the deterioration or stagnation of the socio -economic status of the children of the migrants compared to their parents. Many factors can help, from non -matching life expectations in a new country to discrimination and economic circumstances.

In Germany, for example, children from Muslim countries are often exposed to biased teachers who restrict their educational and career opportunities and push them through informal institutions such as street gangs for self-fulfillment. Studies show that among migrants and locals, the risk of children increases that children in gangs are equally involved in criminal activities.

Children's situations can be tightened by lack of attention from parents who work too busy. In such cases, support networks such as kindergartens, religious organizations and community associations play an important role in preventing the fight against downward and help the children of migrants to integrate into society and at the same time offer the urgently needed childcare.

In contrast, the integration of the children of migrants in the USA, Canada and Australia is easier. These countries are considered “immigrant nations” – which means that they have historically accepted a large number of foreigners. In these places, the crime rates of the first generation immigrants are also lower than in Europe.

European experience shows that the creation of obstacles to integration increases the likelihood of migrants and their children significantly to participate in criminal activities. Germany and the Netherlands, for example, refused to recognize themselves as “immigrant nations”. When many foreign workers from Turkey, Morocco and the Balkans arrived on the continent in the 1960s, the authorities had no plans to integrate them into society and expected to finally go.

But many of the workers stayed in Germany and started families, while they fought legalization, looking for work and received the school for their children. German schools and the police did not know how to deal with them, and migrants from this wave were only legalized in the 2000s. After all, the Netherlands and Germany experienced higher crime rates among representatives of these nationalities and their children, which are now often referred to as “lost generation”.

Why are there so many migrants in prisons?

Switzerland is one of the countries that are least inclined to legalize and integrate immigrants. Even in the third generation, they are considered foreigners and cannot receive citizenship. As a result, Swiss prisons have the highest proportion of migrants in Europe, although many of them were probably born in the country. This means that Europe in general (without Great Britain and Ireland) has a higher detention of immigrants than the USA.