Solidarity replaced by calls for tougher measures in EU migration debate

By Nicoletta Ionta

“Since 2015 everyone said that I am an idiot or evil to have this point of view. But at the end of the day everyone is going to agree with me in the end," said Viktor Orbán in Strasbourg last week.

The Hungarian prime minister's words are starting to sound more like a prophecy, as we witness a significant shift in how leaders approach and discuss migration policies in the EU.

The trend appears to encompass the entire political spectrum. From growing calls to opt out of migration policies, led by far-right figures like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Viktor Orbán in Hungary, to progressive leaders such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and even from outside the EU, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, showing interest in Italy's controversial offshore migration deal with Albania.

Questions persist over what drove this shift in the EU’s migration narrative, as the focus on solidarity, responsibility sharing and unity has now been replaced by member states advocating for tougher measures.

The EU's migration debate now focuses almost exclusively on combating smugglers, addressing instrumentalisation, tightening border controls, and reinforcing the external dimension of migration.

Externalisation efforts ramped up following the 2015 migration crisis, which highlighted the weaknesses of the EU's asylum system and exacerbated internal divisions. This crisis underscored the need for a unified and integrated approach across the Union.

"This is also a long-term trend," said Giuseppe Campesi, Associate Professor in Law and Society at the Department of Political Sciences of the University of Bari. "Starting with the agreement with Turkey, then the strengthened collaboration between Italy and Tunisia, and now the European Union's partnership with Tunisia," he added.

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Look out for

• Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee and FEPS organise in Brussels, Belgium a conference on “Computer in Command: do the consequences of Algorithmic Management for Workers require EU policy action?”
• CEPS organises in Brussels, Belgium a book launch conference on “How can the European Commission combine urgency and flexibility in forming industry alliances?”
• IIEA organises in Dublin, Ireland, a hybrid conference “Geopolitical Turbulence and its Effects on the Global Aviation Industry.”
• EPC organises in Brussels, Belgium, a conference in hybrid format, “Europe's hidden champions: Unlocking the potential of mid-caps for competitiveness and security.”
• EPC organises in Brussels, Belgium a conference “Middle East on the brink: Potential paths for de-escalation?”
• FEPS organises in Brussels, Belgium a two-day conference on the study “Beyond the Border - The implications of Brexit for the island of Ireland.”
• First EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Brussels, Belgium.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal.
• EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell attends the 4th European Defence and Security Conference in Brussels, Belgium.
• Borell will also attend the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit
• European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
• European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen is in Senegal, where she will meet the President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
• European Commissioner Helena Dalli delivers an online keynote speech for ILGA Europe's annual conference in Bucharest, Romania.
• European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni meets with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in New York, United States.

[Edited by Owen Morgan/Rajnish Singh]