Bees against honey: Why many immigrants oppose new waves of migration
Since the very start of his return to the White House, Donald Trump has waged a fierce campaign against migrants. One of its victims in August 2025 was Alexander Gud, the former press secretary of the Libertarian Party of Russia, who was seeking asylum in the U.S. (and who himself is a staunch supporter of deportations). Gud would have found himself back in Russia had he and his wife not boarded a flight to Cairo during a layover in Istanbul.
Given the rise of anti-immigrant policies worldwide, such cases are likely to increase. Under such circumstances, having a prestigious profession or taking a political position in support of the powers-that-be offer diminishing protection against deportations and visa restrictions. Germany has practically halted the issuance of humanitarian visas while simultaneously beginning negotiations with the Taliban movement on the deportation of Afghans. The U.S., meanwhile, is deporting even deserters from the Russian army and imposing restrictions on professionals arriving on high-skilled worker visas. So what drives migrants to oppose freedom of movement in a context where further restrictions can put them or their loved ones at risk?
Assimilation and illusory job competition
Migrants who are opposed to migration are a fairly common phenomenon. The head of the Gelsenkirchen branch of Alternative for Germany (AfD), Enksi Seli-Zaharias, is originally from Albania. She mobilizes the city’s Turkish diaspora against Arabs, emphasizing that the latter receive passports almost hassle-free, while Turks have to make significant efforts to integrate into society.
As a rule, recent arrivals tend to be much more favorable toward migration than locals. However, as they assimilate, they often adopt a different view. In the UK, for example, 83% of locals and 53% of immigrants who have lived in the country for more than five years oppose the arrival of further newcomers. However, among those who have lived in the country for less than five years, only 33% are against welcoming new immigrants.
Children of migrants who are born in the new country tend to align more closely with native-born residents than with their own parents on issues such as same-sex marriage and migration, according to surveys conducted in 24 European countries.