Political polarization, (dis)information, and anti-immigration narratives on digital platforms

Abstract

This article examines how digital platforms have become key arenas for the production and dissemination of anti-immigration narratives. These narratives intertwine affect, disinformation and engagement logics that fuel political polarisation and the rise of the far right. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that bridges communication and international relations, the study analyses how information eco-systems transform fear and resentment into instruments of political mobilisation. It argues that the moral panic surrounding migration is reshaped by ‘platformisation’, whereby algorithms become instruments of power, visibility, and symbolic control. Ultimately, these dynamics reconfigure the public sphere and normalise racist and exclusionary discursive regimes in contemporary democracies.