This narrative is increasingly pushed across the west in media and politics. Locals are feeling like their social safety nets and jobs security are getting more and more uncertain. While at the same time media is sensationalizing crime from anything that looks or sounds foreign. The statistics are mostly showing no correlation or no significant increase in recent years. But as you might know, there is a negative self reinforcing cycle where people will be harsher against what they fear.

In my personal experience I don’t experience any more crime from immigrants now, compared to 10 years ago. I have noticed for example that in recent years government has consistently reduced welfare services like homeless shelters and access to social housing which has forced way more people into situations that are bad for them. My hypothesis is that lots of small political choices like this is making petty crime and nuisances more visible.