Some people worry that immigrants from nondemocratic countries might not support democracy as much as Europeans do. Several political debates even argue that these immigrants could weaken democratic norms. A particular study published on 9 October 2025 in the European Journal of Political Research by F. Gülzau, M. Helbling, and S. Morgenstern found that first-generation migrants in Europe strongly endorse liberal democratic values.
Do Immigrants Threaten Democracy? An Analysis of Two Representative Surveys Says No
Researchers examining multi-country survey data have traced how support for free expression, gender equality, and institutional trust increases among immigrants as their time in Europe increases.
Political Socialization Versus Adaptive Updating
Debates regarding immigration and its potential impact on democratic norms have become a central part of modern sociopolitical discourse in Europe. This concern is grounded on theories of political socialization, which contend that people develop stable political orientations during childhood, and the concept of stable early socialization, which predicts that individuals raised in autocratic environments retain weaker democratic values.
However, an alternative theory called adaptive updating predicts eventual leaning or adherence toward stronger democratic values with prolonged or increasing exposure to democratic contexts. Nevertheless, the researchers specifically examined whether early experiences in nondemocratic regimes shape democratic attitudes among immigrants and whether those attitudes shift after extended residence within European democratic contexts.
They used two surveys covering 30 European destinations and diverse global origin regions. These were the European Social Survey, which included about 2800 first-generation immigrants, and the 2022 German Integration Barometer, which included about 2500 immigrants. They then combined individual demographic variables with V-Dem and V-Indoc regime indicators to capture and determine democracy level and political indoctrination.
Observed Changes in Immigrant Political Attitudes
Findings revealed that the support for liberal democratic values by immigrants is very similar to that of Europeans who were born in Europe. These include high democratic support among immigrants, small but measurable effects of early socialization, and strengthening support linked with years spent in democratic countries. Results were stable across robustness checks, alternative indicators, and varying age thresholds for formative socialization.
• High Support For Democratic Values Among Immigrants
Immigrants across Europe showed strong endorsement of liberal democratic institutions. In the European Social Survey, approximately 92 percent rated democracy as important, with a score of at least 6 on a 0-10 scale, and approximately 58 percent gave the maximum value, indicating widespread positive orientation.
• Modest Influence of Early Socialization
Those who spent their more formative years in autocratic countries recorded slightly lower democratic values. The effect was modest but statistically significant. Variation in values was linked partly with V-Dem scores and V-Indoc school and media indoctrination indicators associated with origin state environments.
• Strengthened Democratic Values Through Residence Duration
Years spent living in European countries showed a positive association with democratic endorsement. Each additional year of residence led to incremental increases in the democratic-values index scores. This pattern appeared consistently in both the European Social Survey and the 2022 German Integration Barometer datasets.
• Country-Level Contribution to Value Variation
Multilevel variance decomposition showed that origin countries accounted for 13.4 percent of the variation in democratic values, while destination countries accounted for 2 percent. Despite this, most immigrants clustered near the upper scale ranges, thus highlighting convergence around democratic norms across diverse backgrounds.
Significance for Migration and Political Cohesion
The study challenges widespread fears that immigrants threaten democracy or are not suitable to live in democratic contexts. Results showed that most immigrants, regardless of origin, value free elections, independent courts, and civil liberties. Small initial differences diminish over time, thus revealing that migration and democratic exposure reinforce rather than weaken European democratic norms, shaping citizens committed to liberal principles.
It is also worth mentioning that the importance of supportive integration environments has also been underscored. Programs that encourage civic participation, political involvement, and community engagement appear more important than efforts aimed at correcting presumed value deficits. Immigrants demonstrate strong readiness and willingness to participate in democratic processes when opportunities and institutional access are available.
Policymakers may also reconsider assumptions about political risks associated with migrants from nondemocratic regions. Data from 2020 through 2022 show that early autocratic exposure has a limited influence on long-term democratic values. This suggests that democratic values and norms can transfer effectively across borders and across migrant life courses. Democratic inclination is possible, and eventual adaptation operates positively over time.
FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE
- Gülzau, F., Helbling, M., and Morgenstern, S. 2025. “Liberal Democratic Values Among Immigrants in Europe: Socialization and Adaptation Processes.” European Journal of Political Research. 1-24. DOI: 1017/s1475676525100285