World Immigration News

Why are young Europeans increasingly supporting anti-immigration parties?

(The link has been removed because the linked content has been deleted/moved.)

Release Date

2026-01-17

Media

The Local

Summary

Across Europe, growing numbers of young voters are backing hard-right and anti-migrant parties, challenging the long-held assumption that younger generations are naturally more progressive on immigration. Examples include stronger youth support for immigration limits in Norway, sizeable backing for France’s National Rally among 25–34-year-olds in the 2024 European elections, and a sharp rise for Germany’s AfD among 16–24-year-olds.

Experts argue this shift cannot be explained by anti-immigration views alone. Two broad drivers interact: economic anxiety (worsening job prospects, housing insecurity, and pessimism about the future) and cultural concerns. For many, voting hard-right functions as a protest vote against mainstream parties seen as failing to address these problems; hard-right politicians often frame immigration as the cause and offer a channel for frustration.

The trend also shows a pronounced gender gap, with young men significantly more likely than young women to support hard-right parties. Social media amplifies these dynamics: young people rely more on TikTok and YouTube for information, where hard-right parties and “manosphere” influencers often outperform traditional parties in reach and messaging.

Overall, the rise of hard-right youth support reflects a mix of economic insecurity, cultural backlash, disillusionment with establishment politics, and social-media-driven rhetoric—rather than immigration alone.

Tags

Europe