“Only the Blue-Eyed Ones”: How Refugees' Origin and Gender Affect Selective Solidarity Through Perceived Similarity and Threat

Abstract

This paper investigates social psychological mechanisms underlying selective solidarity with refugees in two experimental studies conducted in Germany. We hypothesized, in line with the geopolitics of racialization and masculinization of refugees, and rooted in social–psychological theories, that refugee origin and gender affect expressions of solidarity and that this can be explained through perceived similarity and threat. Study 1 (N = 969) explored differences in solidarity with Ukrainian and Afghan refugees in an intersection with refugee gender. Study 2 (N = 1228) extended the design to include Syrian and Eritrean refugees and investigated the effect of perceived proportion of gender within each refugee group. Supporting our hypotheses, in both studies, solidarity was highest when refugees were Ukrainian, which was linked to perceptions of cultural similarity and, in turn, lower threat. Moreover, refugees received more solidarity when they were (expected to be) women, which was primarily explained by lower levels of perceived threat. Findings suggest that similarity (e.g., via superordinate European identity categorizations, which are contextually flexible and geopolitically influenced) may explain higher solidarity with Ukrainian refugees. In contrast, Black, Arab, and Muslim refugee men, shaped by negative stereotypes and narratives about cultural dissimilarity, were viewed as more threatening, exacerbating exclusionary attitudes. We argue that selective solidarity reflects ingroup projection processes, strategic helping motives, and identity-based preferences that underscore the fragile and conditional nature of current refugee support. The paper concludes by addressing the implications of these findings, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to uncover and counteract neocolonial migration narratives to foster sustainable and equitable support for all refugees.