Immigrant threat, perception of unsafety, and political articulation of immigration and multiculturalism in European countries.

This article investigates how the negative political articulation of immigration and multiculturalism by extreme right-wing parties in European countries relates to individuals’ perceptions of unsafety. Using data from the 2018 European Social Survey merged with the Manifesto Project Dataset on party manifestos, the study finds that higher levels of anti-immigrant and anti-multiculturalism rhetoric by extreme right parties are associated with greater perceived unsafety among residents. Moreover, the effect of anti-immigration rhetoric on perceived unsafety is stronger among individuals who feel a higher immigrant threat and is further amplified by greater news exposure. These findings highlight the significant role of political elites and media context in shaping public perceptions of safety, suggesting that divisive political rhetoric may contribute to heightened feelings of insecurity.