Trust beyond borders: the role of non-state actors in shaping immigration preferences

Evidence for high-income countries suggests that higher levels of political trust, defined as confidence in state actors, are associated with greater openness to immigration. We argue that in contexts of weak state governance, trust in non-state actors, such as the church or international organizations, may also be relevant. To examine this, we conduct face-to-face surveys, each including a conjoint experiment, in three border locations experiencing large inflows of Venezuelans: Boa Vista (Brazil), Cúcuta (Colombia), and San Fernando (Trinidad and Tobago). The results indicate that higher levels of trust in international organizations, particularly UNHCR, are associated with lower preferences for community profiles with a closed door to immigration. These findings point to the importance of a more nuanced conceptualization of trust that includes non-state actors when examining public attitudes toward immigration in settings of weak state governance. They also highlight the value of moving beyond national-level or state-centric analyses toward approaches that are more sensitive to local governance contexts. Finally, the results are consistent with the view that, in such regions, international organizations are perceived as trusted intermediaries in relation to immigration attitudes.