In Our Interest: How Democracies Can Make Immigration Popular

In his data-driven book, Alexander Kustov argues that showing people how immigration benefits them and their fellow citizens can lead to greater acceptance of open policies. Looking beyond the stereotype of xenophobic voters, he identifies people’s genuine concern for compatriots as a key driver of immigration attitudes. Using extensive cross-national surveys and experiments, this book demonstrates voters tend to oppose freer immigration because they believe it threatens their countries, but can be persuaded if they see immigration policies as in their interest. Through an in-depth comparison of Canada and Sweden, Kustov shows why pragmatic approaches that focus on attracting skilled, needed workers are more effective than humanitarian appeals and policies. Offering a realistic path forward, the book provides a new, optimistic perspective on the political prospects of pro-immigration reforms.

Alexander Kustov is an assistant professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He studies democratic governance and public opinion with a focus on managing immigration and ethnic tensions in high-income countries. His new book "In Our Interest: How Democracies Can Make Immigration Popular" (Columbia University Press, 2025) examines under what conditions most voters would accept more open immigration policies despite their biases. Previously, Alexander was a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale University and he received his Ph.D. from Princeton University.