Intergroup interaction and attitudes to migrants

There are an estimated quarter of a billion international migrants in the world, and the number has been increasing over recent decades. Positive effects of migrants on receiving communities have been documented. However, migration can also be associated with social tension and conflict. To address these types of negative dynamics related to migration, it is important to understand how attitudes towards migrants form and evolve, and what measures can be taken to reduce the risk of conflict between host communities and migrants. Inter-group contact theory posits that interaction between members of distinct groups can reduce inter-group bias and discrimination, and improve relations. One way to potentially improve attitudes is hence through increased interaction between host community residents and migrants. We conduct a randomized field experiment which studies the effects of interaction with migrants on host community attitudes towards them.