DO ESTABLISHED EXPLANATIONS OF IMMIGRATION ATTITUDES APPLY ACROSS EUROPE?

Why are people in Europe opposed to immigration? The English-language MIDEM Policy Paper by Lenka Dražanová shows that the reasons differ significantly between Western Europe and Central/Eastern Europe.

While attitudes critical of migration in Western Europe are closely linked to political positioning on the left-right spectrum, this connection is much weaker or less consistent in Central and Eastern Europe. Across all eight countries studied, however, one common factor emerges: People who feel socially excluded, underappreciated, or politically neglected are more likely to hold restrictive views on migration—regardless of their actual socioeconomic status.

The results show that political attitudes alone are not sufficient to explain reservations about migration. Equally important are experiences of social exclusion and political neglect—as well as the respective national contexts.