Just how xenophobic is the Imperium?

[GroxGlitch]

Is it "if it's not human shoot it on sight" ?
Is it "If it's not human and it's hostile shoot it"?
Is it something else entirely?
I've had a hard time nailing down where the "kill the alien" ends and the "this whole kill all aliens thing isn't working" begins.

[VolatilSpam]

As with most questions regarding "how ___ is the Imperium," the answer is very much "that depends on who you ask." There are a lot of Space Marines, Comissars and Guard commanders who feel very much "if not human, then needs a bullet." However, there are canon examples of varying attitudes. The Blood Axe clan of Orks, for example, has been known to sell its services as mercenaries, and it is not unheard of for desperate humans to hire them. The Tau sometimes trade with the humans on the fringes of their empire, though whether or not this is heresy is sort of up in the air. In more recent fluff, Marneus Calgar exterminatused a Tau world, but was nice enough to let them evacuate before he dropped the bomb. There are also Ordo Xenos inquisitors and shady Rogue Traders who work with xenos in the execution of their duties.

[Anne Marie]

For the Imperium dealing with aliens and abhumans, it all comes down to varying degrees. Like Volatil said, some in the Imperium are extremists while others can and often do find uses for the xenos. Imperial sanctioned aliens A.K.A. they're useful as fodder and saving a human from the work are:

- Ogryn
- Ratlings
- Kroot
- Nekulli
- Lotaxl

These all operate within jurisdiction of the Imperium; often Ogryn work as the heavy lifters and back-ups for some Imperial Guard regiments, Ratlings are often employed on star ships, and Kroot and Nekulli are sanctioned bounty hunters. I don't know very much about the Lotaxl since the FFG books have little on them. The further anyone goes from the center of the Imperium or wherever their power is strongest, you're bound to find humans having more contact with aliens. They're at least tolerable. Rogue traders are certain to have more than just a few aliens aboard their vessels, and Inquisitors will sometimes truck with xenos if it suits their needs.

[Inquisitor Alex]

Ogryns, ratlings (and squats if you go back far enough) aren't aliens, they're abhumans. Pretty much what we'd evolve into after centuries of isolation on non-earthlike worlds. Heavy gravity worlds would produce space dwarves, hostile deathworlds would produce ogryn, etc.