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Does Immigration Undermine Public Support for Integration in the European Union?

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  • Dimiter Toshkov
  • Elitsa Kortenska

Abstract

It is well established that negative attitudes towards immigrants are strongly associated with lower public support for European integration. But the impact of actual immigration levels on immigration attitudes is still contested. As a result, the relationship between immigration levels and EU public support remains uncertain from a theoretical point of view. We offer an empirical study of the link between immigration from the new EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and EU support at the regional level in Spain, France, Ireland and The Netherlands. The results of the analyses suggest that in all four countries immigration from CEE had negative effects on support for European integration in the host societies. In short, immigration seems to undermine integration, although internal migration within the EU is necessary for the successful functioning of its economic union and the future of political integration.

Suggested Citation

  • Dimiter Toshkov & Elitsa Kortenska, 2015. "Does Immigration Undermine Public Support for Integration in the European Union?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 910-925, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:53:y:2015:i:4:p:910-925
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anna Brosius & Erika J van Elsas & Claes H de Vreese, 2019. "How media shape political trust: News coverage of immigration and its effects on trust in the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(3), pages 447-467, September.
    2. Vassilis Tselios & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2020. "Did Decentralisation Affect Citizens’ Perception of the European Union? The Impact during the Height of Decentralisation in Europe," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-26, May.
    3. Markus Gastinger, 2021. "Introducing the EU exit index measuring each member state’s propensity to leave the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(3), pages 566-585, September.
    4. Dominik Schraff & Ronja Sczepanski, 2022. "United or divided in diversity? The heterogeneous effects of ethnic diversity on European and national identities," European Union Politics, , vol. 23(2), pages 236-258, June.
    5. Christina J. Schneider, 2019. "Euroscepticism and government accountability in the European Union," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 217-238, June.
    6. Philipp Lutz, 2024. "Between common responsibility and national interest: When do Europeans support a common European migration policy?," European Union Politics, , vol. 25(2), pages 313-332, June.
    7. Dimiter Toshkov, 2024. "The political effects of intra-EU migration: Evidence from national and European elections in seven countries," European Union Politics, , vol. 25(4), pages 723-747, December.
    8. Eddy SF Yeung, 2021. "Does immigration boost public Euroscepticism in European Union member states?," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(4), pages 631-654, December.
    9. Botrić Valerija, 2016. "Attitudes Towards Immigrants, Immigration Policies and Labour Market Outcomes: Comparing Croatia with Hungary and Slovenia," Croatian International Relations Review, Sciendo, vol. 22(76), pages 5-28, October.
    10. Francesco Pagliacci & Luca Bonacini, 2022. "Explaining The Anti‐Immigrant Sentiment Through a Spatial Analysis: A Study of The 2019 European Elections in Italy," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 113(4), pages 365-381, September.
    11. Likaj, Xhulia & Rieble, Lena & Theuer, Laura, 2020. "Euroscepticism in France: An analysis of actors and causes," IPE Working Papers 132/2019, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    12. Sharon Baute & Bart Meuleman & Koen Abts & Marc Swyngedouw, 2018. "European integration as a threat to social security: Another source of Euroscepticism?," European Union Politics, , vol. 19(2), pages 209-232, June.

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