Abstract
While Hungary has been the target of both journalistic and academic attention due to its anti-migrant attitudes since 2015, the racism which has targeted minority-Hungarians from the surrounding states as potential migrants to Hungary has been ignored as a topic of investigation. In this chapter, I contrast the racism targeting minority-Hungarians with that directed towards recent Middle Eastern asylum seekers. I argue that both (potential) migrant groups have been targets of welfare chauvinism. Although the two case studies presented here are different from each other, the trope of injustice runs consistently through them. A core assumption underlying both cases is the belief that immigration is unjust, and immigrants are depicted as ‘free-riders’ who are not entitled to receive social benefits due to not having adequately contributed to Hungary’s economy. By investigating these case studies, I provide insights into the intersections between migration, racism, and welfare.
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Andits, P. (2022). The 23 Million Romanians, Igor, and the Others: Welfare State, Migration, and Racism in Hungary. In: Perocco, F. (eds) Racism in and for the Welfare State. Marx, Engels, and Marxisms. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06071-7_7
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