Left-Wing Xenophobia in Europe

Do those who identify with the political left but oppose immigration resemble right-wing xenophobes more than other left-leaning individuals who do support immigration?  With several recent rounds of the European Social Survey, we analyze differences between left-wing anti-immigrant xenophobes and, on the one hand, right-wing xenophobes and on the other, left-wing supporters of immigration. We find that, although left xenophobia is more prevalent in Southern European countries as expected from left populist parties, fully one fourth of the left in Northern and Central Europe are xenophobic too.  Yet within both high and low left xenophobic countries, left-wing xenophobes have a similar profile.  They are significantly less educated, have lower occupational socio-economic status, and higher rates of unemployment or non-employment than either right wing xenophobes or other left-wingers.  Left-wing xenophobes are more religious than other left-wingers, but less so than right-wing xenophobes.  Compared to the two control groups, left-wing xenophobes are least likely to belong to a union or a political party, are least interested in politics and least likely to support government reducing differences in income levels, shedding light on the welfare chauvinism complex.  Left-xenophobes are least likely to read a newspaper for news on an average weekday, have the lowest trust in politicians, and were least likely to vote in the last national elections.  Given their political disengagement, left xenophobes may currently threaten democracy less than right wing xenophobes, but they represent a potential constituency that anti-immigration campaigns by parties at either end of the political spectrum might mobilize.