In the light of the above, freedom of expression enjoys wide recognition in the European system, particularly in the context of political and electoral debate. However, this recognition, although vital for the democratic process, cannot be considered absolute. When electoral discourse includes expressions, contributions or narratives which, by their content and context, may assume a discriminatory, stigmatising or dehumanising character toward a person or a group of persons – such as migrants, asylum seekers or refugees – it may interfere with the rights and freedoms of others or negatively affect the democratic function of public debate itself. In such circumstances, a fair balance must be struck in order to safeguard human rights and the proper functioning and integrity of the democratic process. In electoral discourse, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are especially vulnerable, as they often do not possess electoral rights and do not participate in the campaigning on equal terms.