Europe has long been a center of attraction for migrants from all over the world. It is due both to the developed health care, education, and security system, as well as to the overall level of development of the countries of the European Union. Many migrants do not migrate for economic reasons but because of political pressure or the danger to their lives that awaits them in their home countries. Currently, there is a tendency for xenophobic and nationalistic attitudes to spread in Europe, which is associated with several problems related to migration. Contrary to existing stereotypes, migrants often turn out to be good specialists with a decent education, positively impacting European countries’ labor market and demographics.
The European Union is a political-economic association but not a single state. Therefore, within the European Union, there are many opposing sides, each of which pursues the interests of its state or follows the demands of society. Since some European countries strive not to comply with the agreements on the admission of migrants, and some try to shift this responsibility to other countries, there is a problem in standardizing the approach to the issues of irregular migration.
Many people born in other countries live in modern Europe; in Germany, for example, there is a well-established Turkish community of many millions. Nevertheless, it is still incorrect to speak of a true multiculturalism in Europe since, despite some successes in adapting migrants, conflicts between representatives of different cultures still occur. Italy and Sweden differ significantly in their political discourse on migrants(Bale, 2017). While Sweden seeks to integrate migrants into its society by allowing them to learn the Swedish language and culture and to ensure equal rights with other citizens, anti-immigrant attitudes have become increasingly assertive in Italy in recent years. Indeed, such views also exist in Sweden, but they have a greater significance in Italian political discourse, where nationalist sentiments are rising. Besides, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, for example, declared the collapse of the idea of multiculturalism in France, which he attributed to the unwillingness of migrants to integrate into the common French culture.
There are several narratives in European societies about migrants being terrorists, stealing jobs from locals, living off government assistance, and bringing only crime and violence to society. Many populist politicians in Europe use such narratives to reinforce their positions by promoting nationalist ideas and discrediting the image of migrants, often using Islamophobic ideas in the process. The reinforcement of such unfair but popular xenophobic positions can lead to even greater segregation of cultures living in the same country from one another and an increase in tensions in society.
Roma is one of the oldest discriminated peoples in Europe and the world. Roma is often deprived of social benefits and state support and has difficulties finding employment, and in society, their image is often associated with crime, magic, and other negative phenomena. At the same time as antigypsyism, another universal form of discrimination – Islamophobia – began to spread in the modern century. Islamophobia is closely related to the 9/11 attacks in the United States and other terroristic acts in Europe. It consists of the idea that Muslims are not civilized enough and are all terrorists and criminals. These two ideas are developed to a greater or lesser degree in almost all European Union countries, complicating the integration of these cultures into public life and unfairly discriminating against people based on their nationality.
Thus, European society perceives the influx of refugees into Europe differently. Any conflicts between different cultures, various cases of aggression, or terrorist attacks increase xenophobic sentiments in many European societies, which populist parties and politicians skillfully exploit. The problem is complicated by lobbying from different countries seeking to satisfy their constituents’ demands, making it impossible to reach a consensus on defining European migration policy. European society needs some time and a series of legislative changes to improve the adaptation of migrants to assess the contribution of migrants to the European economy constructively.
Reference
Bale, T. (2017). European Politics: a comparative introduction. Palgrave.