In this book, we explore why, according to several surveys, most natives are reluctant to grant social rights to immigrants. We focus on the role of reciprocity, particularly how natives value immigrants’ fiscal contributions. Due to structural barriers such as lower wages and irregular payments, it can be difficult for them to become positive fiscal contributors in the short term. If natives prioritize fiscal contributions when determining immigrants’ access to welfare benefits, this may perpetuate economic inequality.
We conducted an experiment in three countries to investigate this. We find that natives are less supportive of granting full social rights to immigrants who are negative fiscal contributors—those receiving more in public services than they pay in taxes. Notably, high-income earners and individuals concerned about the sustainability of the welfare state react more negatively to extending social rights to immigrants. Contrary to common assumptions, we demonstrate that, even when informed about immigrants’ positive intentions and the structural barriers they face, natives continue to penalize them for being a fiscal burden.
Moreover, our research high-lights that the penalty for being a negative fiscal contributor is higher for immigrants than for natives. In conclusion, economic inequality, which results in immigrants facing economic disadvantages, often renders them negative fiscal contributors in the short term, deprives them of the public support necessary to access social rights. This book has important implications for contemporary debates on the extension of social rights to immigrants.
