Abstract
Paper Presented at the 7TH CEU Conference in Social Sciences What Follows after the Crisis? Approaches to Global Transformations Central European University Budapest, May 27-29, 2011 Abstract-Politically the recent economic crisis has increased pressure on politicians to express, at least in rhetoric, their support for a limitation of migratory flows. In reality there has been limited impact on the number of migrant workers.
The impact of the crisis is perhaps most acute in areas such as construction which were greatest affected by financial constraints however aside from temporarily reduced demand migrant workers were relatively unscathed by the crisis. In the political arena anti-immigrant (migrant) discourse became more prevalent as politicians played off of voter concern during the time of crisis.
Under the umbrella of 'rhetoric' this paper discusses the impact of anti-immigrant/migrant political rhetoric on policy toward migrants at the level of both the State and at a broader EU level.