Peter A Allard School of Law

Shades of Perception: Non-White Refugee Arrivals and Migration Policy Restrictiveness in the Global North

Event Description

Is there a backlash against non-white refugees in the Global North? Contrasting responses to those fleeing the Syrian civil war and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine reveal differences in the treatment of displaced persons. Challenging economic and foreign policy explanations, I argue that racial prejudice influences public attitudes and policy responses. Two tests reveal that non-white refugee arrivals prompt more restrictive policies and public support for such measures, while white refugees do not. Political media consumption moderates these effects. These findings have important implications for responses to future humanitarian crises.

Speaker

Andrew Rosenberg

Andrew S. Rosenberg is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. His research examines racial inequality in international migration, global racial inequality and dependency, and international order. His first book, Undesirable Immigrants: Why Racism Persists in International Migration (Princeton University Press, 2022), won an award from the APSA Race, Ethnicity and Politics section. Rosenberg’s work has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research, Review of International Studies, and Security Dialogue, among other outlets. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from The Ohio State University.


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