Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Welfare State Regimes in Europe

Xavier Escandell, University of Northern Iowa
Alin M. Ceobanu, University of Florida

This paper examines whether the stand-alone and cross-level interactive effects of individual and contextual predicting variables of anti-immigrant sentiment vary as a function of institutional differences in welfare regimes. Using the 2003 ISSP data, direct and indirect measures tapping welfare state systems were created to assess the differences in anti-immigrant sentiment across 22 European countries. HLM results show that mean levels of anti-immigrant sentiment are lower in countries with higher levels of public spending in social protection programs. Findings also indicate that an individual’s labor force status (being unemployed), and political conservatism become even stronger predictors of anti-immigrant sentiment in countries with more developed welfare state systems. Findings are discussed from the perspective of the economic competition model, and the converging trend in European immigration policy.