LA conviction that immigration increases crime is one of the most anchored and oldest preconceived ideas in public opinion, both in the United States and elsewhere. This myth, born over a century ago, continues despite many evidence of the opposite.
This perception is maintained by political figures like Donald Trump, who have made it a central axis of their campaigns. Upon announcement of his first candidacy, in June 2015, he associated immigration and crime, saying, in particular: “When Mexico sends us his nationals, he does not send the best … He sends those who bring us the drug, the crime. »» Over the years, he has intensified this rhetoric, qualifying immigration threat to public security. During his last campaign, during a meeting in Waunakee, Wisconsin, 1er October 2024, he said: “” Migrant crime epidemic is the worst thing that has happened to our country in fifty years. »»
And this is politically effective: according to A September 2024 survey of the Pew Research Centerimmigration and crime were among the three main priorities for Trump voters, just after the economy. But what do the figures say?
Gap between perception and reality
Studies on the subject show that there is no cause and effect link between immigration and the increase in crime. Studies in the United States, ancient and recent, as well as analyzes on Italy and the United Kingdom, confirm that immigration has no significant impact on crime rates.
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Source: Lemonde