Channels, Fall 2017

Page 98 Beck, Diza, Searl • Bridges and Bandits incidents of terrorism. It is worth noting that immigration alone is not enough to predict a rise in terrorist attacks. The data from Germany, the nation with the strongest correlation between immigration and terrorism, simply indicates that migration from terror-producing areas is a strong indicator of a rise in terrorist incidents. This is not to say that immigration from terror-prone regions is the only factor giving rise to terrorism in receiving countries. Rather, immigration is only one of many factors that may lead to increased terrorism. However, it is our contention that immigration from terror-producing regions is a significant predictor of increased terrorist activity. The conclusion that immigration from terror-prone nations is related to increased terrorism in the receiving country is not surprising. In fact, these results are exactly what one would expect given the existing research on this topic. Thus, immigration is indeed a physical link similar to a bridge that allows for the travel of the ideology, culture, and bandit-like terrorist individuals necessary for the transfer of extremism from terror- producing nations to previously unaffected regions. The value of this study is that it confirms and supports earlier research, especially the research conducted by Bove and Bohmelt, and demonstrates that the correlation between immigration and terrorism holds notwithstanding changing world circumstances, including the recent immigration crisis. Additionally, this research highlights the need for discerning immigration policies. In terms of the potential for increased terrorist activity, immigration from a terror-prone nation is not synonymous with immigration as a whole. A policy that misses this essential differentiation risks incorrectly assessing a substantial threat of additional terrorist activity.