Between Inclusion and Exclusion: The Representations of Illegal Immigrants and Refugees on Spanish Party VOX’s Instagram During the First Year of the War in Ukraine

Abstract

Populist radical right parties, such as Spain’s VOX, transitioned from advocating explicitly racist and xenophobic ideologies to engaging in a cultural war. This change has gained particular prominence in Spain, given the dual challenges of immigration from Africa and the one resulting from the ongoing war in Ukraine. This study aims to analyze the contrasting representations of illegal immigrants and refugees on VOX’s Instagram account using Critical Discourse Analysis. The findings reveal that VOX characterizes illegal immigrants as young, African Muslim men frequently displaying aggressive or threatening behaviours. In contrast, refugees, consisting of Ukrainian white women, children, and elderly persons, are depicted as embodying civilized conduct.