Migrants’ and local residents’ psychological responses to migration

Abstract

Migration profoundly transforms the material, social and cultural environments of migrants, which creates psychological demands that are often experienced as challenges or threats. At the same time, migration changes the receiving context, which can generate psychological demands for local residents. Consequently, perceptions of and responses to immigration-related demands critically depend on the other group’s responses. In this Review, we consider the interplay between migrants’ and local residents’ responses to migration from a psychological perspective. We first review psychological factors and processes underlying emigration, with a focus on decision processes. Once migrants have arrived in a receiving society, both migrant and local resident groups face immigration-related demands. Corresponding need threats for migrants are exacerbated by the (perceived) forced nature of migration. We review research on migrants’ and local residents’ psychological responses to these immigration-related demands, including local residents’ helping responses, and consider the extended intergroup dynamics of such responses in acculturation. We conclude by identifying directions for future research. Migration transforms migrants’ material, social, and cultural environments. Migration also changes the receiving context, which affects local residents. In this Review, Echterhoff et al. consider the interplay between migrants’ and local residents’ responses to migration and the influence of the perceived forced nature of migration.