Immigration and Right-wing Populism

The increase in right-wing populism is not solely driven by concerns or hatred towards increased immigration; historically, left-wing positions have also opposed immigration due to fears of wage depression for local workers. The narrative that anti-immigration sentiment is fueled by racism is a recent development. Surprisingly, there isn't a strong correlation between levels of racism or xenophobia and the success of populist movements in different countries. For instance, countries like Sweden, with low levels of racism, have significant populist parties, while countries like Ireland and Portugal, with higher racism levels, do not prominently feature populism.