European societies – L3
3 Migration and mobility in the European union
Look at all the slides for graphs and tables
3.1 Setting the scene
SLIDE 4-6: your image of migration
The 2015 migration crisis as a key event
SLIDE 7
- In 2015, Europe experienced a large increase in asylum applications
Many migrants arrived via the Mediterranean route
Media coverage focused on dramatic images of displacement and
humanitarian suffering
The crisis became strongly associated with refugees fleeing war and
persecution
Political responses to the 2015 crisis
Urgent measures put in place
EU governments sought to reduce the number of arrivals
Border controls were reintroduced within the Schengen area
o You had to show passport
Cooperation with non-EU countries to stop migration flows
o EU-Turkey deal (2016) is most important cooperation
Stronger emphasis on returns of irregular migrants
Disagreements between EU member states
Southern European countries (Greece, Italy) faced large numbers of
arrivals and called for solidarity
o Large numbers of arrivals
Some member states strongly opposed relocation of asylum seekers
((Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia)
o Struggled to agree to handle this together
EU countries struggled to agree on a common response
Meanwhile, public concern about immigration grew
Support grew for anti-immigration political parties
Migration began to shape national and European elections
Migration shaped elections
After 2015: from a migration crisis to a political crisis
More political crisis, not only migration crisis
o Highly political issue
o Migration policy was failing
The number of Mediterranean crossings declined after 2015
1
,European societies – L3
But the ‘crisis’ understood as being a crisis of numbers of migrants swiftly
mutated into a crisis of politics, policies and institutions
Migration became a highly salient political issue in many EU countries
There was a growing perception that migration and asylum policies were
failing
Not all migrants are represented in the same way!
During the 2015 crisis and beyond, the focus was on refugees seeking
protection
Other forms of migration received far less attention in the media
o Labour migration
o Family migration
o Student migration
As a result, migration is often associated with crisis and humanitarian
suffering
Images of places such as Moria camp have become symbols of migration
to Europe
But there is another way of thinking about migration
In 2024, 3.5 million non-EU citizens were issued a first residence permit by
an EU member state
These were people moving for employment, to join with a family, to study
and for other reasons that symbolise hope, ambition, love and aspiration
o Migration is not only about crisis, also about daily things like these
Key message for today
Migrants arriving via Mediterranean boat crossings represent only a small
share of total migration to the EU
Migration is diverse – people move for many different reasons
How migration is understood and represented strongly shapes political and
policy responses
Making sense of migration in the EU
The term “immigration” is too broad-brush to understand migration
dynamics
Instead, we analyse different types of migration
o Labour migration, family migration, irregular migration, asylum,
intra-EU mobility
o How do these different types change the way of coping with
migration?
Different migration types generate different political debates and policy
responses
These debates unfold across multiple levels of governance
o National governments
o The European Union
What do we mean by migration?
2
, European societies – L3
IOM defines an international migrant as “any person who is moving or has moved
across an international border away from his/her habitual place of residence,
regardless of the person’s legal status; whether the movement is voluntary or
involuntary; what the causes for the movement are; or what the length of the
stay is”
Immediately apparent that international migration comes in many forms
and shapes
Which is why migration can be simultaneously represented as…
A solution
o Addressing labour shortages
o Responding to population ageing
A problem
o Labour market competition
o Concerns about identity and social cohesion
Or perhaps more realistically…
o A normal feature of a globalized world
International migration is relatively rare
About 3.7% of the world’s population are international migrants
This means that over 96% of people live in their country of birth
Why?
Migration involves social, financial and psychological costs
Leaving family, friends and familiar environments involves risk
Many countries regulate and restrict international migration
o Some people just can’t migrate because of rules
As a result, internal migration (within countries) is far more common than
international migration
Migration vs mobility in the EU
Migration
o Movement from outside the EU into EU
o By non-EU citizens (third-country nationals or TCNs)
EU mobility
o Movement within the EU people going from one EU state to
another
o By EU citizens exercising free movement rights
Mostly people from outside EU
The prevailing image for most people when ‘immigration’ is mentioned
may well be movement from outside the EU by TCNs
But this is not the whole picture – far from it, in fact
Migration in Europe since the 1660s
This lecture focuses on the post-Cold War period (more recent)
During this period:
3
3 Migration and mobility in the European union
Look at all the slides for graphs and tables
3.1 Setting the scene
SLIDE 4-6: your image of migration
The 2015 migration crisis as a key event
SLIDE 7
- In 2015, Europe experienced a large increase in asylum applications
Many migrants arrived via the Mediterranean route
Media coverage focused on dramatic images of displacement and
humanitarian suffering
The crisis became strongly associated with refugees fleeing war and
persecution
Political responses to the 2015 crisis
Urgent measures put in place
EU governments sought to reduce the number of arrivals
Border controls were reintroduced within the Schengen area
o You had to show passport
Cooperation with non-EU countries to stop migration flows
o EU-Turkey deal (2016) is most important cooperation
Stronger emphasis on returns of irregular migrants
Disagreements between EU member states
Southern European countries (Greece, Italy) faced large numbers of
arrivals and called for solidarity
o Large numbers of arrivals
Some member states strongly opposed relocation of asylum seekers
((Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia)
o Struggled to agree to handle this together
EU countries struggled to agree on a common response
Meanwhile, public concern about immigration grew
Support grew for anti-immigration political parties
Migration began to shape national and European elections
Migration shaped elections
After 2015: from a migration crisis to a political crisis
More political crisis, not only migration crisis
o Highly political issue
o Migration policy was failing
The number of Mediterranean crossings declined after 2015
1
,European societies – L3
But the ‘crisis’ understood as being a crisis of numbers of migrants swiftly
mutated into a crisis of politics, policies and institutions
Migration became a highly salient political issue in many EU countries
There was a growing perception that migration and asylum policies were
failing
Not all migrants are represented in the same way!
During the 2015 crisis and beyond, the focus was on refugees seeking
protection
Other forms of migration received far less attention in the media
o Labour migration
o Family migration
o Student migration
As a result, migration is often associated with crisis and humanitarian
suffering
Images of places such as Moria camp have become symbols of migration
to Europe
But there is another way of thinking about migration
In 2024, 3.5 million non-EU citizens were issued a first residence permit by
an EU member state
These were people moving for employment, to join with a family, to study
and for other reasons that symbolise hope, ambition, love and aspiration
o Migration is not only about crisis, also about daily things like these
Key message for today
Migrants arriving via Mediterranean boat crossings represent only a small
share of total migration to the EU
Migration is diverse – people move for many different reasons
How migration is understood and represented strongly shapes political and
policy responses
Making sense of migration in the EU
The term “immigration” is too broad-brush to understand migration
dynamics
Instead, we analyse different types of migration
o Labour migration, family migration, irregular migration, asylum,
intra-EU mobility
o How do these different types change the way of coping with
migration?
Different migration types generate different political debates and policy
responses
These debates unfold across multiple levels of governance
o National governments
o The European Union
What do we mean by migration?
2
, European societies – L3
IOM defines an international migrant as “any person who is moving or has moved
across an international border away from his/her habitual place of residence,
regardless of the person’s legal status; whether the movement is voluntary or
involuntary; what the causes for the movement are; or what the length of the
stay is”
Immediately apparent that international migration comes in many forms
and shapes
Which is why migration can be simultaneously represented as…
A solution
o Addressing labour shortages
o Responding to population ageing
A problem
o Labour market competition
o Concerns about identity and social cohesion
Or perhaps more realistically…
o A normal feature of a globalized world
International migration is relatively rare
About 3.7% of the world’s population are international migrants
This means that over 96% of people live in their country of birth
Why?
Migration involves social, financial and psychological costs
Leaving family, friends and familiar environments involves risk
Many countries regulate and restrict international migration
o Some people just can’t migrate because of rules
As a result, internal migration (within countries) is far more common than
international migration
Migration vs mobility in the EU
Migration
o Movement from outside the EU into EU
o By non-EU citizens (third-country nationals or TCNs)
EU mobility
o Movement within the EU people going from one EU state to
another
o By EU citizens exercising free movement rights
Mostly people from outside EU
The prevailing image for most people when ‘immigration’ is mentioned
may well be movement from outside the EU by TCNs
But this is not the whole picture – far from it, in fact
Migration in Europe since the 1660s
This lecture focuses on the post-Cold War period (more recent)
During this period:
3
