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Regaining Control? The Political Impact of Policy Responses to Refugee Crises

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  • Solodoch, Omer

Abstract

In response to the political turmoil surrounding the recent refugee crisis, destination countries swiftly implemented new immigration and asylum policies. Are such countercrisis policies effective in mitigating political instability by reducing anti-immigrant backlash and support for radical-right parties? The present study exploits two surveys that were coincidentally fielded during significant policy changes, sampling respondents right before and immediately after the change. I employ a regression discontinuity design to identify the short-term causal effect of the policy change on public opinion within a narrow window of the sampling period. The findings show that both Swedish border controls and the EU–Turkey agreement significantly reduced public opposition to immigration in Sweden and Germany, respectively. In Germany, support for the AfD party also decreased following the new policy. Public opinion time trends suggest that the policy effects were short lived in Sweden but durable in Germany. These effects are similar across different levels of proximity to the border and are accompanied by increasing political trust and a sense of government control over the situation. The findings have implications for understanding the impact of border controls on international public opinion, as well as for assessing the electoral effect of policy responses to global refugee crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Solodoch, Omer, 2021. "Regaining Control? The Political Impact of Policy Responses to Refugee Crises," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 75(3), pages 735-768, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:intorg:v:75:y:2021:i:3:p:735-768_3
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    Cited by:

    1. Cristina Cattaneo & Daniela Gireco & Nicola Lacetera & Mario Macis, 2024. "Out-Group Penalties in Refugee Assistance: A Survey Experiment," CESifo Working Paper Series 10950, CESifo.
    2. Vanden Eynde, Oliver & Fetzer, Thiemo & Souza, Pedro CL & Wright, Austin L., 2021. "Losing on the Home Front? Battlefield Casualties, Media, and Public Support for Foreign Interventions," CEPR Discussion Papers 16102, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. 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.
    4. Vrânceanu, Alina & Dinas, Elias & Heidland, Tobias & Ruhs, Martin, 2023. "The European refugee crisis and public support for the externalisation of migration management," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 279441, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    5. Alrababah, Ala & Beerli, Andreas & Hangartner, Dominik & Ward, Dalston, 2024. "From Border Opening to Political Closing: Immigration and Voting for the Far Right in Switzerland," SocArXiv hgczq, Center for Open Science.

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