Les hommes et la terre de saint Remacle

The focus of this book is on the polarization, on the positive and negative attitudes, representations and practices, as well as on the interactions, at the local level, between majority populations and asylum seekers in the context of the 2015–18 reception crisis.

This book has three objectives. First, it intends to examine publicopinion towards asylum seekers and refugees through a European cross-national perspective.

Second, it explains the public opinion polarization by focusing on pro- and anti-migrant mobilization, and investigating the practices of hospitality and hostility in local communities.

The third objective is to understand asylum seekers' and refugees’ own perceptions of receiving countries and their asylum systems.These issues are specifically debated in the Belgian case. The other national case studies include Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Greece and Italy, and have been chosen based on preliminary research on the policy system, public opinion, and geopolitical position.

This book represents the main output of the research project entitled "Public opinion, mobilizations and policies concerning asylum seekers and refugees in anti-immigrant times (Europe and Belgium)" supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO/BRAIN-be).