Embedded crimes? On the overlapping patterns of delinquency among legal and illegal immigrants in the Netherlands

Abstract The prevalence of crime among illegal immigrants in the Netherlands appears to have risen. Primary and secondary analyses of police data showed that the involvement in crime among illegal immigrants (aged 12 to 25) reflects the patterns of delinquency among legal migrants of comparable age and country of origin. At present, the (rising) crime rate among illegal immigrants is perceived as (an increase of) „survival crime. that is caused by „marginalization., i.e., a lack of „social capital.. The evidence presented in this study indicates that the relation between „social capital. and „delinquency. is not unambiguous, and suggests that additional explanatory variables should be taken into consideration besides social capital in the Netherlands.