Working Paper
This paper shows the limits of left-green party influence in immigration and citizenship politics and provides a political explanation for the immigration policy dilemma.
Abstract
Research has shown that left-green parties favor more open and inclusive immigration and citizenship regimes. In this article, I argue that this cosmopolitan effect of stronger left-green parties is inconsistent. While they can liberalize immigration regime openness and citizenship regime inclusiveness, they cannot reduce the strictness of immigration enforcement due to strong structural constraints. Regression analyses using different datasets covering 23 Western democracies provide evidence for this hypothesis. By demonstrating the limited capacity of cosmopolitan political actors to weaken immigration enforcement as opposed to increasing immigration openness and citizenship inclusiveness, these results advance our understanding of immigration-related party politics and provide a political explanation for the cosmopolitan side of the immigration policy trilemma.
Research has shown that left-green parties favor more open and inclusive immigration and citizenship regimes. In this article, I argue that this cosmopolitan effect of stronger left-green parties is inconsistent. While they can liberalize immigration regime openness and citizenship regime inclusiveness, they cannot reduce the strictness of immigration enforcement due to strong structural constraints. Regression analyses using different datasets covering 23 Western democracies provide evidence for this hypothesis. By demonstrating the limited capacity of cosmopolitan political actors to weaken immigration enforcement as opposed to increasing immigration openness and citizenship inclusiveness, these results advance our understanding of immigration-related party politics and provide a political explanation for the cosmopolitan side of the immigration policy trilemma.