The current wave of anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping across the world (and that only seems to be growing) is probably one of the most heartbreaking situations for all involved (for both locals and immigrants alike). As an expat therapist, I experience first-hand the stress and strain this can cause.
When expats already have to deal with everything from being homesick to adapting to a different culture, the anti-immigrant sentiment merely adds another layer of complexity to it all. Here’s why the anti-immigrant sentiment doesn’t just affect the actual immigrants and why it forces us to self-reflect.
Why This Issue Matters Now
Migration is not a new concept. Since the Earth began, animals and humans (well, our early evolutionary equivalents) have been migrating after shelter, food, etc. (in other words, opportunities). However, modern times have complicated matters a lot.
We now have ownership, governing bodies, overpopulation, a scarcity in resources, economies, and so forth that are impacted by migration. So, when we see statistics such as the 281 MILLION international migrants recorded by the UNHCR in 2024, we are on high alert. A myriad of fears get triggered.
Where will these people stay if I myself can’t even easily find a place in my own country? Surely, this will put further strain on our limited resources? We’re already in a recession. So now the unemployment is going to become an even bigger problem! What does this mean for my family and me?! Are we going to be woken up by the immigrant neighbour slaughtering a goat in their backyard?!
When we read and listen to some of these concerns objectively, we can admit how silly some seem, but that doesn’t take away from our fears (fears don’t need to be rational to make them real to people). It’s these fears (often unspoken) that build tension and fuel the rise of anti-immigrant sentiments.
Why Anti-Immigrant Sentiment Grows
The fears we described earlier probably wouldn’t have been so effective if our societies weren’t under such pressure. A lot is happening in our world. Living costs are rising, wages no longer necessarily reflect these increases, and there are all these external factors (will or won’t there be fuel?).
With locals themselves being under such extreme stress, and our brains wired to always find a ‘why,’ it’s not hard to see why we easily fall back on blaming visible outsiders, rather than deeper and structural problems.
So, even though it may not be intentional, we easily resort to blame-shifting. For example, it’s easier to direct our frustrations toward a person than a policy, right?
The Common Driving Forces of Scapegoating
Some of the main instigators when it comes to scapegoating in a society under strain are:
- Economic insecurity.
- Narratives driven by political agendas.
- The media focusing more on sensationalism than facts and context.
- Social media eco-chambers.
- A lack of knowledge of and contact with migrants.
Scapegoating turns immigrants from normal people with real lives, making an active contribution to society into society’s anxiety personified.
What the Immigration Data Actually Shows
Despite fears, the data reveal quite a different reality:
- Worldwide, an average of 77% of immigrants contribute economically to their communities.
- 17% of self-employed entrepreneurs worldwide are immigrants. This means that your daughter, husband, friend, whoever, might actually rely on an immigrant for their monthly salary.
- On average, immigrants contribute roughly 26% of tax revenue (that’s about $96.7 billion!). I don’t know about you, but I definitely won’t be able to make a significant dent in that when all the immigrants are gone. Can you?
- And, unlike some narratives would have us believe, most immigrants are not people who just got off a boat somewhere with a chicken under their arm, without speaking a word of English. In fact, 830,000 doctors worldwide are foreign-born, 60% of master’s and doctorate level employees in the field of engineering and science in Canada are held by immigrants, and up to 11% of all American lawyers are immigrants.
- With the data showing that immigrants bring significant value to innovation and our economies, how did our thinking get so skewed? Well, as an expat therapist, I often have to explain that migration, like anything else in our world, has its challenges. However, when the public perception becomes hyper-fixated on a minority, rather than the reality of the majority, and the public conversation is mostly negative, the perceived risks take centre stage.
When Immigration Systems are Abused
We’ve just mentioned the minority. There’s no use shying away from the fact that some immigrants abuse the immigration system (even premeditatively). There are many ways in which immigrants can abuse the immigration system:
They can skip it altogether (sneaky-beaky-like and undocumented).
These statistics can vary drastically between countries and regions, but undocumented and illegal immigrants make up roughly 1.2% of the global population.
They overstay on their visas (sometimes simply never leave).
These average 2% globally, but can be a bit deceiving since this figure includes people who have partied too hard and left a day or two later. Or a summer romance that just kinda got away from them. So, even this mere 2% doesn’t automatically constitute malicious immigrant intent.
They form part of a love scam, where they will use someone to get residency or citizenship.
Depending on the region, between 1% and 3% of people report an online scam. However, this can range from just soliciting money to actually going the whole nine visa yards, so it’s hard to gauge what the exact figure here is. It’s also important to note that many victims prefer not to come forward due to the embarrassment around these scams.
They work on visas that won’t allow it.
Once again, depending on the country, it’s estimated to be between 1% and 2% of visa applicants.
They go on welfare (sometimes purposefully and with no intention of ever getting themselves off welfare).
But, did you know that this type of fraud and misuse makes up just about 7% of the welfare budget worldwide, and research has shown that there is no difference between local citizens and immigrants when it comes to those committing these acts (they’re pretty much on par)?
Why Statistics and Distinctions Matter
It’s clear we’re not talking about mass wrongdoing by immigrants. With none of these statistics even reaching 10%, we’re talking about a minute number of people in the bigger scheme of things. If you walked into a casino and someone gave you 1:100 or 2:100 odds, would you be placing that bet?
Then how could we possibly take these numbers and connect them to everything that’s wrong with immigrants and our countries? A few cases should not define an entire population, nor should they keep a country from benefiting from the valuable contributions the immigrant community could have offered.
The Emotional Cost of Anti-immigrant Sentiment
The emotional and psychological cost of anti-immigrant sentiments is pretty high, when it comes to both locals and immigrants:
Locals
- They live their lives always feeling fearful. With everything that they’ve been told, it’s not hard to imagine why someone would lie awake at night, anxiously wondering when an immigrant will come to “steal their job” and so forth. And what a terrible and unnecessary way to live when one considers the actual statistics.
- Locals miss out on innovation and all sorts of learning experiences that inevitably come from dealing with people across borders and from various walks of life.
- By blame-shifting, they miss out on the opportunity to dive deeper within themselves and the country’s systems and actually begin fixing what is potentially broken. By laying it all on the front step of a minute, 1% to 2% means that not very much is likely to change.
Immigrants and Expats
It’s important to note that as an expat therapist, we experience the anti-immigrant sentiment also includes expats (despite many not even planning on ever making the country their permanent residence).
They are all just kind of roped into the same umbrella term and negative perception. But whether you’re an actual immigrant or one of the expats we see during our online expat therapist sessions, the results are the same:
- A general suspicion and distrust, irrespective of how law-abiding you may be, causes intense internal struggle. Think about what it feels like if you’re in a relationship where you’re constantly accused of cheating, even if you’ve done nothing wrong. This is a similar feeling.
- You create an “us vs. them” narrative. Do you remember those 90s teen movies where the “cool” kids would be stuffing the “nerds” into lockers and the “goths” would silently be judging it all? Well, similarly, immigrants will feel like they’re not really a part of the community. Which is a terrible motivating factor for meaningful contribution to said society, as you can imagine.
- Constantly, day in and day out, being met with unacceptance, negativity and even open hostility will do a number on anyone’s mental health. As an expat therapist, we deal with everything from confusion and anger as to where some of the things hurled at them are coming from. Then there’s the depression and the hopelessness of nothing will change, regardless of who they are or what they do.
- We even see the psychological effects often translate into physical symptoms in those we see during online expat therapy sessions. Immune systems take a dip, or they’ll be covered in hives caused by the stressful situation.
- Then, of course, there’s the inevitable loneliness the situation causes on top of the existing loneliness of being in a strange country with no friends or family.
- You also need to remember that not all immigrants or expats come from countries where things are all “care bears and rainbows.” So, this situation could actually trigger quite severe pre-existing traumas or PTSD.
Should I See an Expat Therapist?
If you’re an immigrant or expat, and you’re experiencing the following, it’s probably a good idea to book a consultation:
- You’re experiencing extreme anxiety.
- You’ve become depressed (in other words, you’ve been sad and disinterested in life for days and weeks on end already).
- You’re experiencing disruptions in your sleep patterns.
- You’re self-isolating.
- There’s a general feeling of confusion and loss of self. Almost like you have to rediscover who you are.
- Your daily functioning has been impacted. For example, you can’t keep your focus at work, and so forth.
- You experience a lot of fear. Not just to your physical well-being, but also in terms of rejection and discrimination.
Reach Out for Assistance
As an expat therapist, I can assure you that immigration isn’t just a political issue; it’s a public health crisis. What we’re hearing and seeing from immigrants and locals alike confirms the extreme psychological toll this matter is taking on people. So, if you’re an expat, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and book an online expat therapist session.
And even if you’re a local who’d just like to understand things better and also need some support, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can be reached at info@personalonlinetherapy.com. Or you can simply complete the form below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible:
