Do local voting rights affect migrants’ participation in protests?

In research published in Social Science Quarterly, the study’s investigator expected that migrants living in cities where local voting rights are extended to non-citizens would be more likely to engage in protests compared with those in restrictive contexts. However, the findings revealed the opposite: migrant protests seem to flourish not where rights are granted, but where they are denied.

In an assessment of migrant participation in protests across 4 major European cities with substantial migrant populations (Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, and Amsterdam), the results showed that perceived discrimination increased protest likelihood.

Protests were also more common in cities with favorable public opinion toward immigrants. Supportive public opinion environment appeared to lower the social and political risks of protest, enabling migrants to confidently and openly voice their demands.

“This study underscores the relevance of institutional contexts in shaping not only electoral engagement, as prior studies suggest, but also in modulating protest participation,” said study author Zeynep Mentesoglu Tardivo, a research fellow at the University of Milan. “Political inclusion is not a simple matter of legal rights alone but is deeply intertwined with social recognition and the everyday experiences of migrants.”

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.70055

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About the Journal
Nationally recognized as one of the top journals in the field, Social Science Quarterly publishes current research on a broad range of topics including political science, sociology, economics, history, social work, geography, international studies, sports and society, and women's studies.

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