Immigration to the European Union : challenges and opportunities for a Europe of 25+

Abstract

Immigration has emerged as one of the most contested issues on the European agenda - occupying significant portion of media attention, public discourse and political measures in recent years. It obtained a particular significance for me, personally, after I completed an internship at a non-governmental organisation that provides assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers. Hence, the idea of combining first-hand experience with analysis and research emerged. I embarked on a study of the phenomenon, within the context of current EU developments, with the clear idea that it poses a multitude of challenges both at the practical level of decision-making and at the descriptive level of academic research. Therefore, this study shall try to avoid the trap of arriving at iron cast conclusions or concocting grand design solutions. Its main aim, instead, is to look at different aspects from various angles, involving the counterbalancing of conflicting arguments and the consideration of divergent perspectives. I believe that research is pertinent for the provision of better understanding of various factors involved in the relationship between the European Union and migration. Importantly, thinking on the subject stimulates further questions and illustrates the incompleteness of partisan one-sided approaches. Thus, the accumulation of certain facts, background information, opinions and theoretical models into a single text could potentially transcend bias and precocious assumptions thus leading to a more fair assessment of the challenges and opportunities faced by Europe.