Differences in political outlook on immigration across Europe
Immigration is considered to be politicised when high levels of discussion (salience) and many various opinions (polarisation) on the topic are observed at the same time. Exactly when the presence and integration of immigrants starts to become a contested issue in receiving countries is variable as countries have different migration experiences and issues, and some have been more politicised than others. The 'Support and opposition to migration - A cross national comparison of the politicisation of migration' (SOM) project was established to delve deeper into the topic, considering the role of four types of actors in politicising, or de-politicising, the issue of immigration. These are the state, political parties, movements and the media. The focus was on seven receiving countries (Austria, Belgium, Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland) and how the immigration issue became politicised, as well as the extent to which this occurred. Partners detailed various project aims centred on increasing knowledge relating to conflicts and immigrant political participation, the particulars of the politicisation of conflicts, and how institutions constrain political processes. A large, longitudinal cross-country dataset of political claims was produced, allowing for the exploration of how and when immigration and integration become politicised. Extensive demographic data, information on the legal situation and immigration policies, and institutional factors related to electoral and party systems were also collected. SOM partners found that in all seven countries, the salience of immigration was relatively low in 1995, increasing in the early 2000s and again decreasing somewhat in the late 2000s. Country-specific differences exist, with the topic appearing least salient in Ireland and Wallonia, and most in the Netherlands and Austria. An interesting finding was that salience and polarisation of immigration and integration are not clearly related to the influx of immigrants. Also, in countries whose politics are dominated by two large parties, there is a higher polarisation of the immigration issue. Importantly, the SOM study noted a shift over the years from questions of immigration to questions of integration. Documentation, information gathered and knowledge produced by SOM partners have been made available as working papers and distributed through the Social Science Research Network. Journal articles are under review and an edited book focusing on the participant countries is being prepared.
