Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.58.3.4
Enemy at the Gates? Or How Students of Law from Four Largest Croatian Cities Perceive Refugees and Migrants from the Middle East
Marko Mrakovčić
orcid.org/0000-0002-4919-0277
; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law, Croatia
Margareta Gregurović
orcid.org/0000-0002-7659-0794
; Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In this paper the authors analyse the attitudes of law students towards migrants from the
Middle East and refugees in the Republic of Croatia. Survey was conducted in 2019 at four
Croatian faculties of law: in Zagreb, Rijeka, Split and Osijek (N=667). The conceptual framework
was primarily based in conflict theories, i.e., group threat theory and integrated threat
theory. The aim of the study was to analyse how students of law perceive migrants from the
Middle East and refugees in Croatia, and whether they consider them to be a real or symbolic
threat to Croatia and EU countries. The paper also examines differences in attitudes among
students of different sociodemographic and sociocultural characteristics. The results showed
that political orientation, degree of (non)religiosity and cities from which respondents come
are significantly related to students’ attitudes towards migrants and refugees. It has also been
determined that there is a significant correlation between the attitudes towards refugees in the
Republic of Croatia and the general attitudes of respondents towards migrants from the Middle
East. The strongest, positive effect on these attitudes had the readiness for closeness and
cultural openness towards refugees and lack of perception that refugees pose potential or real
threat to society in which they are moving to.
Keywords
migrants; refugees; threat perception; attitudes; students of law
Hrčak ID:
248899
URI
Publication date:
28.12.2020.
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