Reaching Out to Close the Border: The Transnationalization of Anti-Immigration Movements in Europe (Anti-Mig)

Migration is perceived by many as one of the greatest challenges of our time. We see that the opposition to immigration, across the political spectrum, is the basis for powerful political mobilization. Anti-migration movements aim to limit mobility across borders, and advocate isolationism, nationalism and cultural traditionalism. At the same time, we see that these movements cooperate to a large extent across borders, with joint events, campaigns and strategies. The Anti-Mig project studies contemporary European movements against migration, with a focus on the transnational aspects of mobilization. Analytically, we look at three main questions. 1) Interaction: What networks and collaborations underlie the movements? 2) Framing: How is the goal set in a political and cultural framework? 3) Effects: What does the effect of the mobilization mean for policy development? Central to the project are studies of developments in six countries that together represent much of the variation within Western Europe: Norway, Italy, , Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom and Austria (after the project was launched, we were able to add Portugal as a sixth case through external funding). We have involved a group of international experts in a (Covid-adapted) virtual method lab to develop innovative methodological approaches, and we are engaging a number of people from government and civil society in discussing research findings. Key data sources are interviews, along with survey data and document analysis. The project team is located at the intersection of the study of political mobilization and the study of migration, and has its weight in sociology, with solid elements from political science and human geography. With a multifaceted communication strategy, the project aims to stimulate public debate, contribute to learning and reflection among those working in politics, and to provide academic contributions that can lay the foundation for a new research agenda. The project period has been extended by one year, until 2025. As of 1 October 2023, with 15 months left in the project, we have already fulfilled the majority of the project's goals. The project has contributed with a wide range of publications, including on the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on anti-immigration activism, the relationship between pro- and anti-immigration activism, as well as changes in attitudes towards, the meaning of, and the framing of migration issues. Furthermore, the project has explored through its publications how migration issues figure in far-right mobilization, on anti-Islam mobilization, and how gender and family justify far-right and anti-migration mobilization. The last year's publications have specifically looked at how, and to what extent, anti-immigration mobilization is a transnational phenomenon. In the remaining part of the project, we will finalize the Austrian case study, and we will synthesize the project's main findings across cases and publications. Homepage: https://www.prio.org/projects/1857