Channels, Fall 2017

Page 82 Beck, Diza, Searl • Bridges and Bandits terrorism through immigration into the minds of many policy leaders of western nations, especially those nations that receive many migrants from the Middle East and other traditionally Islamic regions. 1 While there are many opinions on whether immigration causes terrorism and frequent debates on the subject in the news and halls of government, most of these opinions are supported by little more than anecdotal evidence. 2 Until recently, little research existed on the topic, and what did exist could not make strong claims on the politically polarized relationship between these two phenomena. Some experts claim that any connection between immigration and terrorism is illusory or fabricated. 3 Authors of this opinion point to the lack of data showing a connection and the fact that immigration has been a significant issue long before the rise of terrorism in the last several decades. 4 One author even surmises that a connection between the two phenomena has been promulgated with the intent of restricting immigration as an end, rather than as a means to prevent terrorism. 5 Another theory is that political leaders naturally transform complex, divisive questions into simple policy positions. 6 Essentially, the author argues that humans naturally substitute the “readiness with which [terrorism] comes to mind as a proxy for the probability” of it occurring. 7 In the case of immigration, politicians and political pundits substitute the complex issues of immigration for simple questions of national security by promoting a fictitious connection between immigration— especially illegal immigration—and terrorism. 8 However, psychological arguments that individuals are inclined to substitute simple issues or complex issues by creating illusory connections or that humans naturally treat immigration and terrorism as if they are correlated without any justifying research is only significant if terrorism and immigration are actually unconnected. This is not the case. In fact, these views focus on how individuals make connections between immigration and terrorism without even considering the possibility that a connection exists. These authors silently discount several important research theories and studies that point to the opposite conclusion. Namely, that migration is a means through which terrorism is spread to previously unaffected nations and regions. 9 However, not all migration is equally likely to 1 Colette G. Mazzucelli, “Secular States in a ‘Security Community’: The Migration-Terrorism Nexus?” Journal of Strategic Security 9, no. 3, (2016): 21. 2 Vincenzo Bove and Tobias Bohmelt, “Does Immigration Induce Terrorism?” The Journal of Politics 78, no. 2 (2016): 572. 3 For example, see: Maria S. Saux, "Immigration and Terrorism: A Constructed Connection," European Journal on Criminal Policy & Research 13, no. 1/2 (2007): 57-72; Mary De Ming Fan, "The Immigration-Terrorism Illusory Correlation and Heuristic Mistake." Harvard Latino Law Review 10, (2007): 33-52; Mazzucelli, “Secular States in a ‘Security Community’”: 16-27. 4 Saux, "Immigration and Terrorism: A Constructed Connection," 71. 5 Ibid. 6 . Mary De Ming Fan, "The Immigration-Terrorism Illusory Correlation and Heuristic Mistake," Harvard Latino Law Review 10, (2007): 34. 7 Ibid, 35. 8 Ibid, 33. 9 Bove and Bohmelt, “Does Immigration Induce Terrorism?” 572-588.