Easing the Burden? Financial Support for Integration Improves Refugee Tolerance

• In Event: Backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

Why are some individuals more opposed to refugees than others? How can we strengthen support amongst those who are less tolerant? Existing work suggests that individuals are less tolerant when they perceive their state as unable to control migration inflows. This focus on control over external borders overlooks another key component of migration management: the integration of refugees. I argue that the extent to which an individual feels that their country can effectively manage integration is an important determinant of refugee tolerance. Three studies -- focusing on the unprecedented influx of Ukrainian refugees in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) -- provide evidence. Study 1 considers the predictors of integration support across four CEE countries. Study 2 uses a design-based analysis to show that financial support for integration causes individuals to consider refugees less of a problem. Study 3, a pre-registered survey experiment, replicates this finding, and investigates whether positive effects extend to other outcomes associated with tolerance. Findings suggest that effective support of integration is not only a way to improve the lives of refugees, but also an effective method for bolstering individual tolerance.

Author

• Roman Hlatky, University of North Texas