Perspectives on Immigration

Abstract

In the wake of a catastrophic experience with the inflow of Syrian asylum seekers in Europe, immigration is in the limelight of scientists, civil society organizations and policymakers. As pointed out on the call signed by 500 academics for a paradigm shift in the way we think about migration, the recent attempts to coordinate policies and foster global governance fell short of providing innovative and impactful solutions. In this respect, Perspective on Immigration Panel aims to contribute the ongoing discussions by covering different refugee/immigration cases throughout Europe. The questions that would be addressed at the panel are as follows: How specific forms of present-day inter European movements relate to the arrival of Middle Eastern refugees? What explains why welfare regimes are so often chosen as a sector to which to ‘outsource’ immigration control? Does the increasing effect of political alienation on perceptions of threat by immigration hold after controlling for generalized trust both at the individual and regional level? What drives public perceptions on immigration in the context of the Brexit vote? What is the role of economic threat in the formation of public attitudes toward immigration?