Crime, Migration and the 2008 Economic Crisis: The UK Media's Relationship with Eastern Europe

This dissertation aims to challenge the idea that immigrants are a threat to British crime rates, presented by a number of UK national newspapers. The oft-voiced idea that migrants are naturally more inclined to grasp financial opportunities, whether criminal or not, and thus bring with them an increase in crime rates, is difficult to hear for someone whose experience of a new, increasingly multicultural Europe has been fundamentally positive. The paper presents an analysis of the legal systems of the Baltic States and Poland, tackles the question the impact the economic crisis had, if any, on crime rates in these countries, and asks whether academic theories support or reject the idea that migration might be connected to increased crime. Part one of the dissertation provides the theoretical background necessary to set the scene for Part two. A statistical approach is used in Part two of the dissertation to provide evidence to the conclusion that crime has been decreasing consistently, with some exceptions, most notably drug-related offences, in Poland and the Baltic States since 2003. The economic crisis, particularly GDP growth rates and unemployment levels appear to have had very little impact on crime rates, except, in some cases, for theft and property offences. Migrants are also no more ‘violent’ or criminally inclined than natives in any given state – in fact, some research suggests that the opposite is true. One factor that may affect migrants’ propensity to commit crime is the provision, or lack thereof, by the State of social welfare assistance. But overall, crime rates in the UK have been decreasing consistently regardless of high levels of immigration and the fear-mongering that is attempted by some sources in the British media.This dissertation aims to challenge the idea that immigrants are a threat to British crime rates, presented by a number of UK national newspapers. The oft-voiced idea that migrants are naturally more inclined to grasp financial opportunities, whether criminal or not, and thus bring with them an increase in crime rates, is difficult to hear for someone whose experience of a new, increasingly multicultural Europe has been fundamentally positive. The paper presents an analysis of the legal systems of the Baltic States and Poland, tackles the question the impact the economic crisis had, if any, on crime rates in these countries, and asks whether academic theories support or reject the idea that migration might be connected to increased crime. Part one of the dissertation provides the theoretical background necessary to set the scene for Part two. A statistical approach is used in Part two of the dissertation to provide evidence to the conclusion that crime has been decreasing consistently, with some exceptions, most notably drug-related offences, in Poland and the Baltic States since 2003. The economic crisis, particularly GDP growth rates and unemployment levels appear to have had very little impact on crime rates, except, in some cases, for theft and property offences. Migrants are also no more ‘violent’ or criminally inclined than natives in any given state – in fact, some research suggests that the opposite is true. One factor that may affect migrants’ propensity to commit crime is the provision, or lack thereof, by the State of social welfare assistance. But overall, crime rates in the UK have been decreasing consistently regardless of high levels of immigration and the fear-mongering that is attempted by some sources in the British media