Shifting Attitudes: The Impact of Covid-19 on Perceptions towards Immigrants in Africa

Giorgio d'Agostino, Università Roma Tre
Donatella Lanari, University of Perugia
Luca Pieroni, University of Perugia

This paper examines the impact of the CoVID-19 pandemic on native-born citizens' perceptions of immigrants in Africa. Migration in Africa is different, with regions experiencing distinct migration patterns. The pandemic, through its effects on health and economic conditions, may have altered how population in host countries view immigrants. We use Afrobarometer data from 2017 to 2022 alongside the Oxford CoVID-19 Government Response Tracker to explore these changing perceptions. By applying a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach to ordinal data, we preserve the complexities in migration attitudes, revealing a notable deterioration in the most positive perceptions of immigrants. This effect is particularly significant in central and southern Africa. Governmental management of the pandemic also plays a crucial role, with countries exhibiting poor responses to CoVID-19 showing a sharper decline in positive attitudes towards immigrants. We identify two main channels influencing these changes linked with heightened demand for stricter societal norms and increased competition for healthcare. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on migration and public opinion by emphasising the role of crisis management in shaping societal attitudes.

Keywords: International Migration, Population, Shocks and Pandemics, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

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