Looking for a Fair Country: Features and Determinants of Immigrants' Involvement in Crime in Europe

A rise in crime among immigrants allegedly occurred in Europe over the last decades. The origin of this phenomenon is obscure, and traditional theories offer conflicting explanations. The present article addresses these problems by using data regarding the 18 main countries in Western Europe. The results show that the immigrant share in crime figures varies greatly from country to country. This suggests that the non-national contribution to crime is not associated with immigration per se, but with the contexts in which immigration occurs and features of the immigration inflow. The cross-national analysis shows, in particular, that 'culture, respect for rights and universalism' in the host countries are associated with lower immigrant crime. © 2011 The Howard League and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.