128 Chapter 6 the welfare state and allow for more precise policy interventions related to labour mobility and social policy within the EU. Future research could expand upon our understanding of how political and economic contexts mediate the relationship between immigration and the welfare state. For example, explore how political party competition, populism, and the framing of immigration in media discourse affect welfare state policies. Do right-wing populist parties drive retrenchment, and under what conditions (e.g., high- and low-immigration contexts), or does their rise paradoxically lead to more generous welfare policies to mitigate public discontent? Some scholars (e.g., Koopmans, 2009; Larsen and Dejgaard, 2013; Reeskens and van Oorschot, 2012; van Oorschot, 2006) argue that political rhetoric, the depiction of welfare recipients or the perception of migrants influence whether welfare states retrench or expand. Future work could explore whether countries with populist or anti-immigrant governments experience different policy responses compared to those with more pro-migration coalitions. Moreover, comparative work could examine how changing labour market structures (e.g., dual labour markets, informal employment, gig economy) shape the impact of immigration on social welfare spending and whether different migrant integration policies (e.g., Koopmans, 2009) affect the relationship between immigration and welfare state. Studying these questions through cross-national comparisons and historical analyses could provide valuable insights into the long-term impact of immigration on welfare state design. These areas for further research highlight certain limitations to this dissertation and its scope. As always, important to note is that the results may not be generalisable to other parts of the world, other selections of countries or other time periods. Nevertheless, this dissertation contributes significantly to the scholarly and policy debate surrounding immigration and welfare in Europe. By demonstrating the resilience of European welfare states and the nuanced ways in which different forms of immigration influence public policy and opinion, this research offers both a robust empirical foundation and a call for more refined future studies. Ultimately, origins matter for welfare state responses. This contributes to the broader debate by challenging simplistic assumptions that migration necessarily weakens the welfare state. Instead, this dissertation supports a more conditional, institutional, and politically mediated perspective – which is crucial for both academic theory and policy debates on welfare state sustainability in the EU.
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