NEO-RACISM IN THE AGE OF POPULISM: THE IMMIGRANT CRISIS IN EUROPE

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a global increase in populist politics aimed at manipulating the public’s feelings and gaining political interest. The tremendous developments in communication technology spread populist discourses more, and thus causes the perception that we live in an age of populism. This research article on the immigrant crisis in Europe focuses on the populist discourse that has a neo-racist tendency about anti-immigration. Within this framework, some populist discourses of European politicians are analysed, and secondary quantitative data related to this issue is used. Especially in situations of social, political and economic crisis, immigrants in European countries are stigmatized as the main culprits. This stigma, which is seen not only in the far right but also sometimes in left politics, is generally used for immigrants coming from non-Western countries, especially from Muslim countries. Muslims among immigrant groups in European countries are often criticized for not being integrated into the mainstream society, and the arguments related to this issue are often expressed in a populist and pragmatic way. The main argument of the study is that one of the main threats to national unity and solidarity in European countries is the populist, neo-racist and Islamophobic discourse used against immigrants.