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Legitimizing Exclusion? A Quantitative Analysis of Nationalism, Gender Inequality, and Family Reunification Policies in Europe

Hansson Huber, Elin LU (2025) WPMM42 20251
Sociology
School of Social Work
Department of Sociology
Abstract
Family reunification lies at the intersection of humanitarian values, national identity, and gender politics, making it one of the most complex and debated areas of immigration policy. This thesis examines how nationalism and gender inequality, individually and together, shape family reunification policies across 27 European countries. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of femonationalism, intersectionality, and the politics of belonging, the study investigates whether governments that promote a nationalist ideology implement more restrictive family migration policies, and how national levels of gender inequality influence this relationship. This study employs a linear regression model for panel data, estimated using Prais-Winsten... (More)
Family reunification lies at the intersection of humanitarian values, national identity, and gender politics, making it one of the most complex and debated areas of immigration policy. This thesis examines how nationalism and gender inequality, individually and together, shape family reunification policies across 27 European countries. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of femonationalism, intersectionality, and the politics of belonging, the study investigates whether governments that promote a nationalist ideology implement more restrictive family migration policies, and how national levels of gender inequality influence this relationship. This study employs a linear regression model for panel data, estimated using Prais-Winsten regression with panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE). Using data from the Varieties of Democracy and MIPEX datasets, the analysis reveals that higher levels of nationalism employed by governments are strongly associated with more restrictive family reunification policies. Gender inequality does not consistently influence policy restrictiveness, but when combined with nationalism, it points to a more complex pattern. These findings demonstrate how discourses of gender equality can be used to justify exclusionary immigration policies, highlighting the powerful role of nationalism and gender inequality, and emphasizing the need to understand how these factors interact in shaping migration policies. (Less)
Popular Abstract
What happens when rising nationalism and ideas of gender equality clash in immigration policy? This research explores how these two key dynamics shape the policies around family reunification across Europe. In 2023, family migration, the process that enables relatives separated by migration to reunite in the same country, accounted for the largest share of migration flows in OECD countries, making up about 43 percent (OECD, 2024). With rising migration in recent decades, nationalist voices have grown louder, casting doubt on whether immigrant families belong within the framework of Western “liberal values”. The right to family life is a fundamental human right, but it is increasingly under pressure in today's migration landscape.

In... (More)
What happens when rising nationalism and ideas of gender equality clash in immigration policy? This research explores how these two key dynamics shape the policies around family reunification across Europe. In 2023, family migration, the process that enables relatives separated by migration to reunite in the same country, accounted for the largest share of migration flows in OECD countries, making up about 43 percent (OECD, 2024). With rising migration in recent decades, nationalist voices have grown louder, casting doubt on whether immigrant families belong within the framework of Western “liberal values”. The right to family life is a fundamental human right, but it is increasingly under pressure in today's migration landscape.

In recent years, some political groups have portrayed migrants, especially men from non-European countries, as threats to gender equality and liberal values. This has led to what researchers call femonationalism: using feminist ideas to justify anti-immigration policies. Interestingly, political parties that used to promote traditional family values are now increasingly claiming to defend women’s and LGBTQI+ rights to exclude migrants seen as culturally different. However, few studies have explored how this relationship is reflected in actual integration policies.

Using data from 27 EU countries between 2007 and 2019, this quantitative study shows how nationalism and gender inequality shape family migration policies. The results confirm that nationalism leads to tighter family reunification policies, especially in countries with larger foreign-born populations. Gender inequality alone does not strongly affect these policies but does impact broader migration policies. Together, nationalism and gender inequality work together in complex ways, when one is high, the other’s effect is smaller. This study fills a research gap but also leaves many questions for future work on family migration. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hansson Huber, Elin LU
supervisor
organization
course
WPMM42 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Family Reunification, Nationalism, Femonationalism, Immigration, Gender Inequality, Policy Restrictiveness, Europe
language
English
id
9195233
date added to LUP
2025-06-25 21:36:07
date last changed
2025-06-25 21:36:07
@misc{9195233,
  abstract     = {{Family reunification lies at the intersection of humanitarian values, national identity, and gender politics, making it one of the most complex and debated areas of immigration policy. This thesis examines how nationalism and gender inequality, individually and together, shape family reunification policies across 27 European countries. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of femonationalism, intersectionality, and the politics of belonging, the study investigates whether governments that promote a nationalist ideology implement more restrictive family migration policies, and how national levels of gender inequality influence this relationship. This study employs a linear regression model for panel data, estimated using Prais-Winsten regression with panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE). Using data from the Varieties of Democracy and MIPEX datasets, the analysis reveals that higher levels of nationalism employed by governments are strongly associated with more restrictive family reunification policies. Gender inequality does not consistently influence policy restrictiveness, but when combined with nationalism, it points to a more complex pattern. These findings demonstrate how discourses of gender equality can be used to justify exclusionary immigration policies, highlighting the powerful role of nationalism and gender inequality, and emphasizing the need to understand how these factors interact in shaping migration policies.}},
  author       = {{Hansson Huber, Elin}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Legitimizing Exclusion? A Quantitative Analysis of Nationalism, Gender Inequality, and Family Reunification Policies in Europe}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}