In this paper, James Dennison and Andrew Geddes consider how the COVID-19 crisis will impact attitudes towards immigration in Europe. They argue that there is little evidence that the pandemic will undermine or reverse the “long-term trend” towards more positive sentiments about immigration and that it will lead to a decline in its salience. Their focus on Europe owes to the fact that developments there provide a powerful test of attitudes towards immigration in the context of the current crisis.

This paper is part of a series of short “think pieces” by IOM’s Migration Research and Publishing High-Level Advisers on the potential changes, impacts and implications for migration and mobility arising from COVID-19. Designed to spark thinking on policy and programmatic responses to COVID-19 as its impacts continue to emerge globally, the papers draw upon existing and new evidence and offer initial exploratory analysis and recommendations.