Differentiation of welfare rights for migrants in Western Countries 1970-present

Using comparative data for nineteen OECD countries for the years 1980–2018, the chapter shows that the welfare rights of non-naturalised immigrants continue to be differentiated along residency status and benefit type. Permanent migrants enjoy more rights than temporary ones, and access to social assistance is more restricted than access to unemployment insurance. Furthermore, over the last fifty years, immigrant welfare rights have undergone both restrictions and expansions. Differences between countries can to some extent be attributed to welfare regime characteristics: countries that are more generous towards their citizens tend to grant more rights to immigrants. Within countries, restrictions often stem from the increasing influence of populist radical right parties, but in some instances, they were also part of larger-scale retrenchment reforms by other parties.