Migration

Tens of thousands of Estonian workers commute to Finland, said to be the world’s happiest nation. Silja Kudel examines Estonia’s ongoing struggle with ‘brain drain’.

Cities should be trusted to take the lead on the integration of newcomers.

Central European countries in 2015 allowed refugees to pass through into the EU. Why did it stop & what is the situation now?

The origin and meanings of citizenship – what does it mean today in an era of mass migration and security fears?

How can we account for the perception among Slovenia’s general population that migrants pose a threat?

Slovenia was changed by the first waves of refugees passing through in 2015. Its centre-left government has followed, rather than led, public opinion.

The response of the EU to the arrival ‘en masse’ of refugees in need of a safe haven has left much to be desired, and some leaders have used the issue of security threats as an excuse to avoid taking up their responsibilities to provide humanitarian assistance. But until European leaders and citizens join the dots between the complex but interlinked issues of migration and climate change, a secure environment will remain out of reach for all of us. An interview with Bodil Valero, Green MEP for Sweden.

At the southern border of “Fortress Europe”, the Mediterranean has turned into a graveyard. The current migrant crisis in Europe is about more than a risk to the EU’s reputation. It strikes at the core of the EU’s founding values. A continuation of its half-hearted response to the migration crisis is out of question.

In light of the wave of populism continuing to gain ground, many European leaders are adopting the intolerant and scapegoating rhetoric of the far right. More than ever, social alliances against the extreme right are needed in order to counteract this trend and to promote the values of a Europe of solidarity.

Both multicultural and assimilationist models of integration have difficulties, but the intercultural approach could offer a way to move beyond concepts of majority and minority, host society and newcomers, and become a new model for Europe.