The party competition on immigration and multiculturalism has recently come into focus of research on the radical right’s electoral performance. Scholarship illustrates that the strategic behaviour of mainstream parties (MP), especially the centre-right, influences the election results of the radical right (RR). My paper complements respective studies by analysing the strategy that MP adopt. The principal choice of MP between an accommodative, dismissive, or adversarial strategy is considered in the context of the RR’s policy stance. Examining the positional distance vis-à-vis the RR, my paper addresses the question “Which factors influence the strategic positioning of mainstream parties on immigration?” An investigation of the competing policy proposals is worthwhile, as the extent of topical convergence is linked to electoral performance and changes of immigration laws.