As the European elections are taking place, a narrative is emerging on the rise of an extreme-right wave. Migration has been a focal point for European far-right parties, shaping and defining the...Show moreAs the European elections are taking place, a narrative is emerging on the rise of an extreme-right wave. Migration has been a focal point for European far-right parties, shaping and defining the European political debate since the 2015 migration crisis. A recent theme emerging in European migrant discourse concerns the preferential treatment politically and in popular thought of Ukrainian refugees over other asylum seekers, notably those from Syria and neighbouring countries in the 2015 crisis. This paper aims to research the impact of NGOs in political and popular attitudes to refugee reception. Using a most similar methodological approach, it qualitatively compares two cases of important migration inflows in France with varying political and popular responses to research the impact of NGO involvement in these variations. It aims to add to broader theoretical discussions on the impact of pluralism on democratic legitimacy and the role of NGOs in that relationship. It seeks to analyze whether normative claims from pluralist democratic theory on that role have empirical import.Show less
