The relation between economic concerns and attitude toward immigrants: a comparative analysis of Greece and Spain at the European Union level

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1558789 (Table of Contents)

Immigration has always considered as one of the most important issues of the European Union by the politicians at the national level. While some of the countries strongly oppose to immigration and immigrants, others consider immigrants as necessity and follow integration policies toward immigrants. As a significant literature argues, immigration policies and attitudes toward immigrants are mostly shaped by the economic concerns of natives and national politicians" The other literature explains different attitudes toward immigrants in different countries with sociological, ideological, and identity concerns rather than economic, rational explanations. This thesis aims to explain whether the economic concerns or non-economic concerns are more effective in the generation of attitudes toward immigrants. The Sovereign Debt Crisis within the European Union enables me to make a comparison between the pre­ crisis and post-crisis period in Greece and Spain, the countries that have been affected most by the crisis. By analyzing the voting of Greek and Spanish parliamentarians at the European Parliament for migrant-related documents, I will figure whether economic concerns are more effective than the non-economic concerns, as a huge literature argues.