Abstract
Crime and remittance inflows are high in Jamaica, and there is a general anecdote that foreign-based masterminds use remittances to fund crime. Yet, remittances represent a significant source of foreign income to alleviate financial constraints, which may pose a dilemma to policymakers. We find that remittances significantly reduce rape and carnal abuse and property crimes such as larceny and break-ins but have no significant effect on armed crimes such as shooting, murder and robbery. Remittances decrease crime by raising consumption and employment, but also they increase crime by weakening democratic institutions. Overall, remittances reduce incidents of crime significantly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3-25 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Journal of International Development |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 13 May 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2024 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Keywords
- common factor modelling
- crime
- low-income economy
- panel time-series
- remittances
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Development
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