Information warfare
How adversarial actors use migration and border discourse to inflame xenophobia and manipulate civic sentiment.
Across many societies, calculated narratives around migration and border control echo shared anxieties while exploiting fear, reshaping political loyalties, and widening divisions, ultimately challenging trust, cohesion, and democratic norms.
Published by
Jerry Jenkins
July 23, 2025 - 3 min Read
In recent years, political operatives and online communities have increasingly framed migration as a crisis rather than a social process, weaponizing statistics, stereotypes, and sensational anecdotes to provoke emotional responses. Instead of examining root causes, they spotlight isolated incidents, translating them into a language of threat that justifies harsher policies and expulsions. This rhetorical shift turns migrants and asylum seekers into stand-ins for broader anxieties about security, economy, and cultural change. By presenting a consistent narrative of invasion or saturation, these actors cultivate a sense of urgency that crowds out nuance, encourages loyalty to ingroup leaders, and normalizes punitive measures as protective acts.
The mechanisms are diverse: micro-targeted social media campaigns, manufactured headlines, and strategic timing around elections and policy debates. Visual cues such as fences, borders, and crowd scenes are deployed to symbolize existential risk, while counter-narratives are ridiculed or dismissed as clichés. Disinformation ecosystems amplify discord by prioritizing outrage over evidence, creating echo chambers where dissenting voices are marginalized. The result is a political environment where policy choices are less about humane governance and more about signaling allegiance to a perceived rival or external menace, thus weakening pluralism and eroding civic tolerance.
The social costs of inflamed borders and rhetoric.
Beyond simple propaganda, adversarial actors craft a social script that invites participation from ordinary citizens who share concerns about safety and belonging. They frame migration as an external problem that demands unilateral action, presenting local communities as endangered and politics as a zero-sum contest. These messages frequently rely on stereotypes about particular groups, which simplifies complexity and assigns blame to identifiable “outsiders.” In this framework, public debate becomes a competition over moral purity rather than a search for effective solutions. The outcome is a society primed to accept restrictive measures that limit rights and mobility in the name of collective security.
The ethical dimensions of border discourse are often overlooked in policy debates, even as they determine how people interpret risk and responsibility. When leaders echo simplified fables about crime, employment, or cultural threat, they provide a script for what counts as legitimate action. Civil society, media, and education systems then bear the burden of counteracting distortions without compromising civil liberties or due process. A resilient approach demands transparent data, accountable messaging, and dialogue that foreground human dignity. It also requires recognizing the legitimate concerns of communities while resisting dehumanizing portrayals that mistake fear for evidence.
Building resilience through informed, inclusive public life.
To counter these dynamics, journalists and researchers emphasize context, comparative analysis, and historical perspectives that show migration as a long-term, adaptive process. Emphasizing economic contributions, cultural exchange, and legal frameworks helps reframe the debate toward policymaking grounded in evidence rather than emotion. Community forums, fact-checking collaborations, and inclusive storytelling illuminate migrants as neighbors, workers, and contributors. Such efforts do not erase tension, but they do offer pathways for constructive engagement, reducing power imbalances and creating space for marginalized voices to share experiences that challenge stereotypes and reveal common stakes.
Education plays a pivotal role in inoculating civic culture against manipulation. Media literacy initiatives teach audiences how to identify sensational framing, source reliability, and deliberate omissions. Civic education that explores rights, responsibilities, and the limits of government power empowers individuals to evaluate border policies on principled grounds. When people understand the procedural safeguards that govern immigration and asylum, they are less susceptible to fear-based simplifications. Empowered publics demand accountability, transparency, and humane treatment, which collectively dampen the appeal of demagogic border narratives.
Practices that reduce leverage of xenophobic messaging.
Community organizations can model constructive responses by designing programs that welcome newcomers and connect them to local networks. Social integration projects reduce perceived threats by showcasing shared interests, such as employment, education, and neighborhood safety. By creating spaces where residents from different backgrounds collaborate on common goals, these initiatives transform rivalries into partnerships. Moreover, visible acts of solidarity—mutual aid, language exchange, and cultural events—demonstrate that diversity strengthens collective capabilities rather than dilutes national belonging. When people experience positive contact with migrants, fear-based narratives lose their persuasive power.
Digital platforms now bear heavy responsibility for the public square, yet governance remains uneven. Algorithmic amplifiers can propel incendiary content into broad feeds, while platform policies—though improving—often lag behind the pace of manipulation. Cooperative efforts among tech companies, researchers, and civil society to tag, contextualize, and reduce harmful content are essential. At the same time, users must cultivate skepticism and seek corroborating sources before sharing alarming claims. A culture of careful, accountable online participation helps preserve democratic discourse against exploitative border stories.
Toward a more accurate, humane public conversation.
Policymakers can reduce susceptibility to border-driven fear by designing humane, predictable immigration systems that emphasize due process and fairness. Clear criteria, timely adjudication, and transparent decision-making build trust in institutions and limit the appeal of crisis narratives. When policies are rooted in measurable outcomes—economic integration, public safety, and social cohesion—citizens are more likely to evaluate concerns with nuance rather than stereotypes. This approach requires cooperation across levels of government and with communities directly affected by migration, ensuring that reforms address real needs rather than symbolic fears.
The impact of border discourse extends into international relations, shaping alliances, rivalries, and humanitarian commitments. When states frame migrants as instruments in a broader geopolitical contest, diplomacy can devolve into posturing that overlooks asylum obligations. Constructive counterweights include multilateral agreements, refugee protection regimes, and transparent reporting on treatment of migrants. Civil society remains a critical check, documenting abuses, amplifying voices of those affected, and offering alternative narratives that highlight resilience, dignity, and shared humanity.
Restoring confidence in civic life requires consistent, long-term messaging grounded in accuracy, empathy, and accountability. Political leaders can model restraint, avoiding sensationalism that inflames fear while acknowledging legitimate concerns. Media outlets play a crucial role by presenting balanced coverage, avoiding cherry-picked anecdotes, and including voices from migrant communities in the conversation. Educational institutions—and families—can foster critical thinking about policy trade-offs and human consequences. When discourse centers on humane treatment, rule of law, and practical solutions, citizens gradually resist attempts to weaponize fear for partisan gain.
Ultimately, resilience against manipulative border rhetoric depends on inclusive, evidence-based governance and a culture that values pluralism. By elevating local success stories of integration and mutual aid, communities can demonstrate that diversity strengthens adaptability and prosperity. Researchers, journalists, and educators must continue to illuminate how border policy intersects with economics, security, and human rights, offering concrete alternatives to fear-driven narratives. In a healthier information environment, civic sentiment leans toward collaboration, empathy, and accountability, reducing the effectiveness of adversarial actors who seek to inflame xenophobia for political gain.
