Othering’ of Immigrants in European Host Societies.

Migration has been a part of European societies for a long time, and has been viewed from different perspectives. However, the initial positive perception has shifted to a more negative one, especially after the 2015 European refugee crisis and the resurgence of right-wing politics in Europe. The crisis demonstrated the construction of an ‘us vs. them’ mentality with respect to immigrants, as many EU member states were not just hesitant but opposed to the new influx of migrants. There was considerable apprehension about the immigrants taking over the employment opportunities of the natives, issues of cultural incompatibility, fears about the social composition of the incoming migrant groups and the economic burden posed by the new entrants. Further, right-wing political parties were able to achieve electoral success through their fierce opposition to immigrants. The paper examines how the securitized view of migration in recent decades and the growing negativity towards immigrants due to the rise of far-right politics have contributed to the ‘othering’ of immigrants. Through case studies of several European countries, this paper seeks to substantiate the argument that the othering of immigrants has increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]