Immigration and Populist Politics
Why immigration has become the single most powerful driver of populist mobilization and how different democracies have responded.
The Issue That Reshapes Politics
Immigration has become the single issue most consistently associated with populist voting across Western democracies. The 2015 European migration crisis, which saw over one million asylum seekers enter Europe, transformed the continent's politics. Parties that had been marginal, Germany's AfD, Sweden's Sweden Democrats, Italy's Lega, surged to prominence on anti-immigration platforms. Brexit was driven in large part by concerns about free movement within the EU.
The political scientist Eric Kaufmann argues that immigration triggers a more fundamental anxiety about demographic and cultural change. When the ethnic composition of a community changes rapidly, residents who identify with the traditional majority may feel that their identity, their status, and their way of life are threatened. This is not simply economic competition for jobs (though that exists); it is a deeper concern about belonging and recognition.
