Clicking on Heaven's Door: The Effect of Immigrant Legalization on Crime

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Pinotti, Paolo
• 署名单位: Bocconi University; Bocconi University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20150355
• 发表日期: 2017
• 页码: 138-168
• 关键词: AMNESTY PROGRAMS; labor-market; legal status; regression; IMPACT

摘要

We estimate the effect of immigrant legalization on the crime rate of immigrants in Italy by exploiting an ideal regression discontinuity design: fixed quotas of residence permits are available each year, applications must be submitted electronically on specific click days, and are processed on a first come, first served basis until the available quotas are exhausted. Matching data on applications with individual-level criminal records, we show that legalization reduces the crime rate of legalized immigrants by 0.6 percentage points on average, on a baseline crime rate of 1.1 percent.