Criminalization and Victimization in the Migrant Population

Abstract

This systematic review aimed to analyze the criminalization and victimization of immigrants in socially significant crimes and to examine the methodologies used in these studies. A total of 25 articles were selected from 100 initially identified through searches in Scopus and Web of Science, covering publications from 1993 to 2025. The methodological approaches included both primary and secondary analyses, using quantitative and qualitative designs. The findings reveal that the criminalization of immigrants—especially those with irregular status—leads to social stigmatization and restricts access to justice, increasing their vulnerability to victimization. Fear of deportation and lack of trust in law enforcement discourage crime reporting among immigrant communities. The review concludes that immigration does not lead to higher crime rates. However, securitization discourse and exclusionary policies perpetuate negative stereotypes, reinforcing immigrants’ marginalization. It is recommended that future research expand beyond the U.S. context and include Latin American countries, where empirical studies remain scarce. Practically, this review highlights the urgent need to reform policies that criminalize migration, in order to protect fundamental rights and promote social inclusion.