Migration and politics of populism in Europe

Under these conditions, popular dissatisfaction with the European Union (EU)’s crisis management grew, and anti-EU and anti-refugee/immigrant ideologies were strengthened. Since 2015, the politicisation of migration in the EU has been a complex, contentious and completely a new phenomenon that has dominated political debates and discussions engendering political salience and polarised stances among member states.

Before the current Ukraine crisis, migration management in Europe was already fraught with complexity and political tensions and was exacerbated by factors such as the Syrian civil war, and the surge of terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa. The influx of refugees from conflict zones in Africa and other regions placed significant strain on European countries, leading to debates over responsibility sharing and burden distribution. Additionally, differing perspectives and approaches among EU member states further complicated efforts to develop a cohesive and unified migration policy.