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The impact of welfare benefits on natives' and immigrants' attitudes toward immigration

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  • Huber, Peter
  • Oberdabernig, Doris A.

Abstract

We investigate the effect of the relative welfare dependence of immigrants on attitudes toward further immigration of different groups of the population in a pooled cross-section of 24 European countries for the 2004–2010 period. Explicitly controlling for the dependence of immigrants and natives on welfare benefits we find that in countries with higher take-up rates among immigrants relative to natives pro-immigration attitudes, very robustly, increase more strongly with increasing educational attainment and, slightly less robustly, decline more strongly with the age of natives. Within the group of immigrants, by contrast, the impact of age on pro-immigration attitudes is more favorable with increasing relative benefit take-up of immigrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Huber, Peter & Oberdabernig, Doris A., 2016. "The impact of welfare benefits on natives' and immigrants' attitudes toward immigration," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 53-78.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:poleco:v:44:y:2016:i:c:p:53-78
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2016.05.003
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    3. Sumit S. Deole & Yue Huang, 2024. "Suffering and prejudice: do negative emotions predict immigration concerns?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(2), pages 1-39, June.
    4. Tripathi, Ishita, 2022. "Are terrorists responsible for anti-immigrant sentiments? Evidence from Europe," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    5. Kaeser, Aflatun & Tani, Massimiliano, 2023. "Do immigrants ever oppose immigration?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    6. Cavaille, Charlotte & Ferwerda, Jeremy, 2017. "How Distributional Conflict over Public Spending Drives Support for Anti-Immigrant Parties," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 328, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    7. Imran Arif, 2020. "The determinants of international migration: Unbundling the role of economic, political and social institutions," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1699-1729, June.
    8. Peter Huber & Marian Fink & Thomas Horvath, 2020. "Data Sources on Migrants' Labour Market and Education Integration in Austria," WIFO Working Papers 613, WIFO.
    9. Michaela Šedovič & Lenka Dražanová, 2023. "What determines the shape of migrant and non-migrant populations’ attitudes toward immigration in Europe?," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/04, European University Institute.
    10. Andreas Dür & Christoph Moser & Gabriele Spilker, 2020. "The political economy of the European Union," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 561-572, July.
    11. Ademmer, Esther & Akgüç, Mehtap & Barslund, Mikkel & Di Bartolomeo, Anna & Benček, David & Groll, Dominik & Hoxhaj, Rezart & Lanati, Mauro & Laurentsyeva, Nadzeya & Lücke, Matthias & Ludolph, Lars & R, 2017. "2017 MEDAM Assessment Report on Asylum and Migration Policies in Europe. Sharing responsibility for refugees and expanding legal immigration," MEDAM Assessment Report on Asylum and Migration Policies in Europe, Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM), number 182239.
    12. González Alejandro López & González-González María Jesús, 2018. "Third demographic transition and demographic dividend: An application based on panel data analysis," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 42(42), pages 59-82, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigration; Immigration attitudes; Welfare state; Labor market;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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