Conclusion: Why stories matter

In the conclusion, I revisit the main theoretical model of storytelling and mobilization and summarize how the qualitative analysis of interview data, mainstream media, and social media support the analytical model that is presented throughout the book. I also reflect on the applicability of this model to other instances of anti-asylum seeker or anti-immigration mobilization and the wider importance and implications of addressing anti-immigration mobilization at the community level, in order to better understand why, and under what conditions, it emerges in Western European communities. Finally, this chapter reflects on the threat of far-right illiberal politics to the state of liberal democracies in Europe.