The changing demographic landscape of Chile, crime and recent inmigration patterns

Abstract

People and media outlets in Chile, one of the safest countries in the Western hemisphere, are claiming that crime is on the rise in their country. They are also claiming that the increased crime rates are caused by the recent boom of migrants from places like Haiti, Colombia, and Venezuela. This is an oversimplified and inaccurate explanation. A closer look at the issue yields a very different perspective. First, I contend that immigration to Chile is not actually increasing, but the demographic of those arriving is changing. Chile has historically seen migrants from European countries, but now new arrivals are coming from other South American and Caribbean nations. Second, violent crime in Chile is actually declining, while petty crime is slightly increasing, if not stagnant. This leads me to believe that crime is being overrepresented in the media and causing unneeded concern. Finally, Chile’s own immigration policies are forcing people into the informal sector of the economy. The informal economy leads to increases in occurences of petty crimes. To move towards a better and safer future for all people residing in Chile, policy makers need to make it easier for migrants to gain access to the formal economy.