Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

International and Global Studies

Advisor/Mentor

Spencer Allen

Committee Member

Ryan Sajder

Second Committee Member

Alessandro Brogi

Third Committee Member

Milad Odabaei

Abstract

The divergence in public immigration sentiment between Italy and Spain, two countries with striking historical, geographic, and demographic similarities, is seen as a mystery for popular theoretical frameworks. Although both nations transitioned from net emigration to net immigration beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, Italy has consistently exhibited more negative attitudes toward immigration relative to the European average, while Spain has seen sustained improvement in immigration sentiment despite receiving immigrants at historically unprecedented levels. Employing a Most Similar Systems Design and drawing on quantitative demographic and survey data, primary legislative texts, and secondary scholarly literature, this thesis tests Group Threat Theory, which posits that increased immigration leads to increased backlash, against the empirical record of both countries and finds it insufficient as a standalone explanation. Instead, the evidence points to a combination of divergent policy approaches, particularly Spain's sustained emphasis on immigrant integration versus Italy's focus on border control and expulsion, the cultural and linguistic proximity of Spain's predominantly Latin American immigrant population, and differing political environments as more compelling explanations for the observed divergence in sentiment rather than simply the amount of immigration to a given country.

Keywords

Italy; Spain; Group Threat Theory; Immigration; Migration; Comparative Analysis

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