Birthright Citizenship and Youth Crime

Leander Andres, Stefan Bauernschuster, Gordon Dahl, Helmut Rainer and Simone Schüller

No 35070, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper studies the impact of birthright citizenship on youth crime. We leverage a German reform which automatically granted birthright citizenship to eligible immigrant children born in Germany after January 1, 2000 and administrative crime data from three federal states. We find that immigrant youth who acquired citizenship at birth are substantially less likely to engage in criminal activity, with estimates indicating a 70% reduction in crime. These results are particularly relevant in light of ongoing debates in the U.S. about abolishing birthright citizenship. Our findings suggest that inclusive citizenship policies can reduce crime and its associated costs, which in turn could strengthen social cohesion.

JEL-codes: J15 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-04
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Related works:
Working Paper: Birthright Citizenship and Youth Crime (2026)
Working Paper: Birthright Citizenship and Youth Crime (2026)
Working Paper: Birthright Citizenship and Youth Crime (2026)
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