Analysis by the Guardian has uncovered growing opposition to immigration among younger generations in the EU, contradicting accepted wisdom about the nature of support for anti-immigrant political parties. This trend is feeding Right-wing gains predicted at EU elections in early June and may have far-reaching implications for the bloc’s future.
While baby boomers are generally the most likely to hold anti-immigrant views across the EU, young people have increasingly negative opinions on the topic. Among those aged 15-24, negative attitudes towards immigration from outside the EU rose from 32% in 2019 to 35% in 2023, while negative attitudes among those aged 25-34 rose from 38% to 42%.
Growing anti-immigration sentiment among the young has the potential to significantly shift EU policy. Indications that these sentiments will continue to grow over time could force mainstream political parties to adopt a harder stance in order to stop bleeding votes to Right-wing forces, such as by adopting “Rwanda-style” policies or tougher border checks of the kind already introduced by several central European countries. In addition, the increasingly cross-generational nature of anti-immigration sentiments may make consensus on stronger anti-immigration policies easier to reach at the EU level.