Integration policies and threat perceptions following the European migration crisis: New insights into the policy-threat nexus

The link between integration policies and intergroup attitudes or threat perceptions has received considerable attention. However, no studies so far have been able to explore how this relationship changed following the European migration crisis due to a lack of recent comparative policy data. Using new MIPEX data, this is the first study to examine mechanisms underlying the policy-threat nexus following the European migration crisis, distinguishing between several strands of integration policies, and realistic and symbolic threat. To do so, we combine 2017 Eurobarometer data with 2017 Migrant Integration Policy data, resulting in a sample of 28,080 respondents nested in 28 countries. The analyses also control for economic conditions, outgroup size, and media freedom. Multilevel analyses indicate that respondents living in countries with more inclusive integration policies in general report lower realistic and symbolic threat. When investigating different policy strands, we find that inclusive policies regarding political participation and access to nationality for immigrants are associated with lower realistic and symbolic threat. We compare our findings to those from prior to the European migration crisis and discuss the potential role of this crisis in the policy-threat nexus.

Do integration policies relate to economic and cultural threat perceptions? A comparative study in Europe

In this article, we analyse the relationship between integration policies and perceived intergroup threat across European countries. By distinguishing between several strands of integration policies and forms of threat (economic vs cultural), we attempt to shed more light on the mechanisms underlying the policy-threat nexus. We combine data from The European Values Study of 2008 and the Migration Integration Policy Index of 2007, resulting in a sample of 29,844 native residents in 27 countries, on which we apply multilevel analysis. The outcomes of the analysis reveal that respondents living in a country with more-inclusive integration policies – more specifically, policies aimed at labour market access and political participation – display lower perceptions of economic threat. By contrast, integration policies are not significantly associated with perceptions of cultural threat.