Study: crime rate higher among young olim

Recent young immigrants to Israel commit a disproportionate share of youth crimes, new statistics reveal. While 10 per cent of all Israeli youth are recent immigrants, young olim commit 20 per cent of all youth crimes, according to statistics released at a Ministerial Committee for Combating Violence meeting Tuesday. Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said at the meeting he was concerned that such a high crime rate among recent immigrant can rekindle Israelis’ stereotypes about people from the diaspora. “I am terrified of its power,” he said at the meeting’s start, the Jerusalem Post reported.Law enforcement officials cited lack of knowledge of immigrant languages, confusion about legal procedures, and poor communication between the multiple immigrant agencies as reasons for the high rate. Police also noted that overall, youth crimes have declined since 2003.