Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust

The report analyzes 92 empirical studies (138 distinct analyses) published between 2003 and 2022. It finds a bimodal pattern where migrant exposure either strongly increases or strongly decreases trust, with positive effects more common for social and political trust and negative effects more common for perceptions of physical and economic security. The review highlights a significant Western bias in existing literature and finds strong evidence for the contact hypothesis, where direct intergroup interaction reduces prejudice and increases trust.

• The literature exhibits a bimodal pattern regarding the impact of migrant exposure on trust, with 43% of analyses concluding a strong negative effect and 38% concluding a strong positive effect.
• The effect of migrant exposure varies significantly by the type of trust measured: it is more often positive for social and political trust, but strongly negative for perceptions of economic and physical security.
• Direct intergroup contact between hosts and migrants has an overwhelmingly positive effect on trust, supporting the contact hypothesis.
• Higher levels of education among the host population are associated with significantly greater expressions of trust toward migrants, acting as a counteracting mechanism to prejudice.
• Gender influences trust levels, with men generally being less trusting of migrants than women, although women report lower trust specifically regarding physical security due to feelings of vulnerability.
• Individuals of lower socioeconomic status tend to be significantly less trusting of migrants, likely due to increased feelings of economic competition.
• Media exposure significantly shapes trust; hostile media framing leads to decreased trust, while high-quality news sources providing positive perceptions can counteract negative effects.
• There is a severe geographical bias in the research, with an overwhelming majority of studies focusing on Europe and a distinct lack of data from the Global South, particularly Latin America.

APA

Skramstad, L., Tollefsen, A. F., & Buhaug, H. (2023). Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/129060f1-cea0-4456-9cdd-5c0ec31c9df4/Skramstad Tollefsen Buhaug - Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust PRIO Paper 2023.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Skramstad, Laila, Andreas Forø Tollefsen, and Halvard Buhaug. Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2023. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/129060f1-cea0-4456-9cdd-5c0ec31c9df4/Skramstad Tollefsen Buhaug - Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust PRIO Paper 2023.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Skramstad |first1=Laila |last2=Tollefsen |first2=Andreas Forø |last3=Buhaug |first3=Halvard |title=Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2023 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/129060f1-cea0-4456-9cdd-5c0ec31c9df4/Skramstad Tollefsen Buhaug - Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust PRIO Paper 2023.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{skramstad2023migrant, author = {Skramstad, Laila and Tollefsen, Andreas Forø and Buhaug, Halvard}, title = {{Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2023}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/129060f1-cea0-4456-9cdd-5c0ec31c9df4/Skramstad Tollefsen Buhaug - Migrant Exposure and Individual-Level Trust PRIO Paper 2023.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }