Migration and citizenship

Abstract

Around 25 million third country nationals live in the EU, making it the world’s second-largest receiver of migrants. But European politicians fail to acknowledge this reality, resulting in mismanagement of immigration. The economic crisis affects immigration and policymaking on migration in several ways: 2. Sectors with a high concentration of migrant workers are amongst the most severely hit, making unemployment soar among migrants faster than among the general population; 3. Unemployed local people now turn towards occupations they were neglecting in times of full employment and face competition with migrants; 4. Migrants’ countries of origin also suffer from the crisis. Consequently, pressures to emigrate from these countries remain high while return migration is often not an option. The European agenda for economic migration defined before the crisis seems outdated. The EU must address new realities born from the economic crisis and anticipate the demographic recession that has just started, but will gain momentum in the coming decades and make immigration part of the response. Beyond labour markets, the crisis challenges social cohesion. The integration of migrants’ children will be hampered by a lack of job opportunities for them and the poor economic integration of their parents. Key challenges and questions remain: 1. What should be done to stimulate a true and open discussion about migration and mobility? 2. Why do some politicians and media organisations state that multiculturalism has failed? 3. How can Europe’s historical experiences of integrating minorities inform integration policies? 4. At the external border of Europe, major refugee crises in the Middle East and North Africa – Iraq in 2006-2009; Libya in 2011; Syria since 2011— have resulted in massive population movements, leading several member states to tighten control at entry rather than take measures to offer direct asylum. Why is it so difficult to build a European asylum policy?