Global forced migration has reached the highest level since World War II. The global increase in human mobility raises the question: what dynamics emerge between migrants and receiving communities, and how do migrant arrivals shape trust among individuals?
This report presents initial findings from a systematic literature review of quantitative survey-based research on the relationship between migrant exposure and sociopolitical trust. Using a predetermined search string in Web of Science, we coded peer-reviewed literature that quantitatively estimates effects of migrant exposure on respondents’ political or social trust and/or perception of economic or physical security. Overall, the review reveals considerable heterogeneity in migrant impact on host population trust, although positive effects are more often reported for social and political trust than for perception of physical safety, and a considerable majority of studies also find support for the contact hypothesis.
