Publication type
Journal Article
Authors
Publication date
November 18, 2022
Summary:
We put forward differences in the form of national identity across natives as a key mechanism explaining the sharp public divide on immigration issues. We show that inflows of migrants into local areas can be harmful for the self-reported well-being of natives, but this is only true for natives who self-identify with an ethnic form of national identity. On the other hand, we provide some evidence to suggest that immigration may be utility enhancing for natives with a civic form of national identity. We also show how differences in national identity significantly predict voting preferences in the UK referendum on European Union membership where concern with immigration issues were a salient factor. Drawing on identity economics, our proposed explanation is that for natives with an ethnic form of national identity, any positive economic benefits associated with immigration may not be enough to outweigh losses in identity-based utility.
Published in
Oxford Economic Papers
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/oep/gpac045
ISSN
307653
Subjects
Notes
Online Early
Related Publications
-
Why the English and British don’t see eye to eye when it comes to immigration
Peter Howley, Muhammad Waqas,Media - 20221216
#547579