Do criminal deportations affect homicide rates in Central America?

Over the last decade Central America has received the highest number of criminal deportations of any region in the world. At the same time Central America has become one of the most violent regions in the world, with several nations citing homicide rates that are among the world's highest. Governments in Central America have begun to identify the deportation policy as problematic, and recent descriptive studies across the hemisphere have begun to investigate the relationship between deportations and violence. However, at present very little has been done to measure the relationship empirically.;Using data from multiple sources, this study tests the hypothesis that criminal deportations have a positive effect on homicide rates in Central America. The analysis uses multiple regression analysis to measure the effect of criminal deportations on homicide rates. Several other demographic and national characteristics are also included in the model.;Through the use of empirical research, the evidence of this study suggests that increasing amounts of criminal deportations do indeed increase homicide rates, supporting the claims made in the current body of descriptive research. The results of the model show consistent measures of significance for three independent variables in the general model: criminal deportations, primary education rates, and political stability. These findings suggest that multiple factors play a role in the rising homicide rates across Central America.;As the U.S. Government actively pursues peace and stability in the region, it is in the interests of U.S. policymakers to reverse this dangerous trend. However, unilateral policy changes in and of themselves are not sufficient to curb the rising homicide rates of Central America. A successful policy response will be both multilateral and comprehensive, taking all of the determining factors into account. Criminal deportations, as the focal point of this study seem to play a contributing role in the upward trend of this phenomenon. In response to this issue, both the sending and receiving deportation policies in Central America and the United States should be reviewed and revised.