Hybrid Lecture – What Europeans Think About Immigration and Why It Matters
Tuesday 24 November 2026, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm GMT, online and London, UK
Immigration has become one of the defining political issues of twenty-first-century Europe. But what do Europeans actually think about immigration, why do they think it, and how are these attitudes changing politics?
Drawing on decades of comparative evidence and original theoretical frameworks, the book ‘What Europeans Think About Immigration and Why It Matters‘ examines the causes of immigration attitudes, the role of narratives and political communication, and the implications of what we think for politics, democracy, policymaking, and the future of Europe.
Meet our speaker and chair:
James Dennison is part-time Professor at the Migration Policy Centre of the European University Institute in Florence and the Pierre Keller Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. His research interests include social and political attitudes, behaviour, and communication, migration, and quantitative methods and has been published in dozens of leading scientific journals. He holds a PhD from the European University Institute and has secured numerous grants and international collaborations. He regularly advises international organisations such as the United Nations and European Commission, political parties, NGOs, and private sector organisations on how to effect change with evidence-based solutions. His work has been featured repeatedly in international media such as the Financial Times, The Economist, the Guardian, the BBC, and beyond.
Eiko Thielemann is Associate Professor in Political Science and Public Policy in the European Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research focuses on EU and Comparative European policy making in particular on issues such as multi-level governance, regionalism and devolution, regional and state aid policy, asylum and immigration. His current projects include a monograph on ‘EU Policy-Making’, a special issue for the Journal of Refugee Studies and an edited volume on ‘EU Burden-Sharing’.
More about this event
Established in 1991, the LSE European Institute is a world-leading centre for the study of Europe in its global context. With eight master’s degrees and a doctoral programme, a vibrant research community, and a world-leading public events programme, our work spans Political Economy, Politics & Policy, Culture & Society, and Migration.
Find more information and book your free place here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/european-institute/events/2026-27/what-europeans-think-about-immigration-and-why-it-matters
This event will be held online and at MAR.1.08, Marshall Building, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, UK.