Is What We Hear About Migration Really True? Questioning Eight Migration Stereotypes

Immigration has polarised European politics for decades. There have been defenders and opponents of migration into Europe, and it has often been the matter of acrimonious debate. In recent years, however, the dispute between the two groups often seems to have largely vanished. If the opinion that migration is a threat rather than an asset prevails, there is a risk that European States will forego the benefits of immigration. In doing so, it will undermine Europe’s recovery from the crisis and, ultimately, its position of importance in the world. However, if the consensus shifts and European societies come to see migration as a dynamic and positive force, then migration and migrants can and will help these societies better prepare for future challenges. In this volume, which is accompanied by a booklet summarising its contents, MPC’s experts re-think eight migration stereotypes in the light of MPC’s research and broader academic scholarship.
The volume and the booklet were presented to the press in Brussels in the presence of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ms Cecilia Malmström on 11 July 2014.

Press release of the European Commission

Prof. Philippe Fargues speaks to Al Jazeera TV and Radio Vatican following the wreckage off the Libyan coast on Sunday 11 May 2014

Following the discovery on Sunday 11 May 2014 of 36 drowned migrants, who were attempting to reach the Libyan coast from Sub-Saharan Africa, Prof. Philippe Fargues (Director of the Migration Policy Centre) spoke to Al Jazeera television (in English) and Radio Vatican (in French). Libya is considered to be the preferred crossing point for African migrants wanting to reach the EU, and Prof. Fargues sheds light on the challenges and solutions to the situation.