Immigration absorption and anti-immigrant attitudes in European welfare states

Immigration has become one of the most prominent political debates in European societies of the past 15 years. Its salience has given rise to anti-immigrant sentiment and support for anti-immigrant parties. However, apart from the recent refugee crisis the inflow of migrants to European countries has remained rather stable. In my dissertation I argue that the way countries ‘absorb’ immigration is key in understanding anti-immigrant attitudes. I study the effects of two aspects of immigration absorption on anti-immigrant sentiment: the extent and ways immigrant are integrated in the host society and the extent and ways in which immigration is discussed in the media environment. Additionally, I examine the causes and consequences of immigration absorption for the welfare state. The data used in the empirical chapters are multiple large surveys, such as the LFS and ESS combined with a content analysis of newspaper data from 10 European countries over 13 years. I conclude that cultural immigration absorption is an important predictor of anti-immigrant sentiment of low-skilled natives. Labor market policies policies increase socio-economic differences between natives and migrants. Immigrant integration has the potential to dampen both the negative effects of labor market policies for migrants and anti-immigrant sentiment.