1:15 PM, 8 February 2016 to 2:15 PM, 8 February 2016 at Harold Wilson Building, HWG/05, University of Huddersfield
The ‘before, after and in between’ of immigration
Speakers: Dr Dainis Ignatans (University of Huddersfield), Kajetan Zielinski (Warsaw School of Economics) and Greg Los (University of Kent)
Abstract: A long history of research links community stability and low rates of crime. Given inevitable population flux consequent upon the flight from the Middle East and North Africa, the fullest and most sensitive analyses of population change on policing and other services seems essential. Crime committed against, amongst and by those born outside a host country has been extensively examined. A reduction in aggregate crime is often linked with immigration (Entorf and Larsen 2004; Bircan and Hooghe 2011; Martinez and Lee 2000; Bell, Machin and Fasani 2010; Sampson 2008). Such analyses are bedevilled by the complex effects of population and rate of change and composition of population.
The present research represents a starting point for taking the discussion further by analysing how distribution of immigration and crime has changed during the last decade and by addressing the potential criminal-victim interactions amongst immigrant and host populations. Police recorded crime statistics, UK Census data, National Crime Victims Survey as well as a number of other criminological data sources are analysed in order to address three points. First, what criminal, economical and deprivation characteristics are associated with local authorities where foreign populations are high. Second, the possible impact of the immigrant inflow on crime is explored while taking into account existing immigrant populations. Third, with immigrant populations becoming increasingly more concentrated, relatively new Middle Level Super Output area data is used in order to explore associations between likely and unlikely immigrant mixes and crime against and by them.