Good, bad, and beyond: Host community stereotypes of refugees

Low- and middle-income countries host nearly three-quarters of the world’s refugees, yetresearch on refugee stereotypes and their social consequences remains heavily concentratedin high-income settings. This imbalance obscures how stereotypes operate in countries whererefugees lack legal recognition, where welfare and labor protections are limited, and wherepublic attitudes significantly shape the conditions of daily survival. Malaysia, home to almost200,000 refugees despite not being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, offers acritical context for examining these dynamics. This study analyzes six focus group discussionswith 47 Malaysian participants to assess the content, sources, and implications of refugeestereotypes in a developing-country setting. Using inductive content analysis of 382 excerpts,we identify a wide range of both positive and negative stereotypes, with self-generatedopinions emerging as the most common source. Mapping these perceptions onto theStereotype Content Model, developed by Fiske et al. (2002), reveals nuanced combinationsof perceived intentions and capabilities that underpin both empathy and hostility towardrefugees. These stereotypes, when reinforced through prejudice, discrimination, andstereotype threat, erode refugees’ sense of belonging and constrain long-term socioeconomicoutcomes. Yet, the predominance of self-held rather than socially attributed stereotypessuggest meaningful opportunities for change. We argue that developing-country contexts suchas Malaysia require tailored interventions that leverage media narratives, counter-stereotypical representations, and low-cost intergroup contact to shift public attitudes. Bycentering a middle-income host country, this paper underscores the urgent need to addressstereotype-driven barriers to refugee well-being in the places where most displaced peoplereside.