Election Special: Immigration

Crime Myths

The episode tackles the pervasive myth that immigrants drive up crime rates in the U.S. Wendy Zukerman highlights that research consistently shows immigrants do not increase crime rates and may even lower them. This contradicts common beliefs, such as those expressed by Donald Trump, who has claimed immigrants bring crime and drugs into the country 1.

The vast majority of research shows that immigrants don't bump up the crime rate.

--- Wendy Zukerman

The episode emphasizes that immigrants contribute positively to the economy and are not the criminals they are often portrayed to be 2.

   

Research Findings

Research by Brian Bell, an economist at King's College London, further debunks the myth of immigrants increasing crime rates. His studies on immigrant waves to the UK found no significant impact on violent crime and only a minor increase in property crime from asylum seekers, attributed to their inability to work legally 3.

The growing consensus here is that when immigrants arrive to a country, they don't increase the crime rate.

--- Wendy Zukerman

This aligns with findings from other countries, including the U.S., where studies show that neighborhoods with more immigrants often have lower crime rates 3.