Good Intra-EU Mobility or Bad Migration? Perceived Discrimination of the European Movers Amidst Recurring Crises

Abstract Immigration has become an increasingly contentious political issue in Europe, driven in part by recent crises, from the 2008 economic downturn to Brexit and the refugee influx. These events have not only prompted migration within and beyond Europe but have also fueled public debate on immigration and EU mobility, often intensified by right-wing parties. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shifted focus away from immigration, yet reignited discussions on border policies soon after. While considerable research examines how immigration salience affects public attitudes, limited attention has been given to how anti-immigrant sentiment directly impacts immigrants, particularly in crisis contexts. This study explores whether EU and non-EU movers’ experiences of discrimination are shaped by anti-immigration narratives linked to the economic crisis, Brexit, and the refugee situation. Using data from the European Social Survey (2002–2020) across 17 countries, this research adopts a large-scale comparative approach to assess if nativist discourses affect EU and non-EU immigrants differently and to identify which EU movers may face discrimination despite their EU citizenship status. Findings indicate that recent crises have modestly heightened discrimination against EU movers, with significant variance influenced by national-level nativist discourses. Some EU movers, however, appear to have been more affected in the long run than others.