Why does compassion for migrants run out?

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) report “Confronting Compassion Fatigue - Understanding the cases of Turkey, Colombia and Europe” examines the dynamics of public sentiment towards migrants and refugees, highlighting how political events, such as the Turkish elections in May 2023, can significantly influence public opinion on this issue. The report notes that while there have been generous social responses to people who decided to migrate because of certain situations in their countries, support from the host population can be complex and ambivalent.  

What does “ambivalent” mean in this context? The word refers to the existence of two possible interpretations or values, often opposed to each other. This is what can occur, as feelings, when a person from the host community wants to help a person who arrives as a migrant or refugee, but at the same time has certain fears, generated by the construction of myths, such as those linked to the loss of employment or increased insecurity.

Other examples of this case, taken by the report, are the ten-year residence permit offered by Colombia to Venezuelan migrants, and the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive of the European Union for Ukrainian people in 2022. In all three cases, the report cites different surveys and polls conducted over time to societies, where the deterioration of empathy is noticed.   

The report stresses that support for migrants and refugees may fade over time, as shown by the Colombian case, with a shift in public opinion in favor of keeping borders closed and the European case, through social demand for limiting financial support for Ukrainians, one year after the activation of the directive, citing several public opinion polls in recent years.

In all of these cases, the publication argues, the initial strong solidarity often diminishes over time due to a variety of factors, leading to “compassion fatigue.”  

Key findings of the report include:

> That cultural proximity, pragmatism, and the values of the arriving population are identified as factors that foster initial solidarity with migrants and refugees. 

> That the support curve tends to peak during the emergency phase of a crisis and gradually declines as concerns about the economy, security or cultural change come to the fore. 

> That uncertainty about future arrivals and perceptions of unfairness in resource allocation can erode public support. 

The case of Colombia mentioned in the study is a case in point as one of the most generous responses to cross-border movements of migrants and refugees. 

However, this initial generosity occurred, almost simultaneously with another phenomenon: the Colombian population also began to express a desire to close the borders to future arrivals, according to surveys cited. This shift in public opinion reflects the complex and sometimes ambivalent panorama mentioned above. 

For cases such as these, the paper suggests several policies: 

• Invest in strengthening key areas of social integration of migrants in host communities - e.g., more medical centers, schools - to prevent situations of intolerance, xenophobia and discrimination.

• Build on grassroots solidarity in the short term, but prepare for fatigue in the long term with a state plan to promote inclusion.

• Demonstrate that helping migrants and refugees is beneficial to the entire community, not just a moral obligation, to maintain public support. 

States, with the support of international organizations, can better sustain solidarity with migrants and refugees over time with strategic policy interventions to manage the practical and psychological impacts of large-scale migration.