Immigration: the most pressing issue in Europe?

Nick Cater, Senior Fellow for Menzies Research Centre, believes immigration to be the number one issue faced in Europe today.

In an interview for Sky News, Australia, Cater was questioned on the issue of immigration beyond the U.K. During the live broadcast he states firmly that immigration is the number one issue in Europe and proxy for the issue of patriotism, insisting that people yearn for national and cultural identity and are willing to fight for it. Describing the EU policy that `diversity is a good thing´ as `eroding´ this sense of identity, Cater is strong in his statement that Patriots for Europe – a right-wing to far-right sovereigntist political group – is putting great pressure on the `elite´ to reconsider their views on the matter.

Patriots for Europe advertises and fights for patriotism, support for one´s own country, and control over who crosses the border into said country.

Statistics of immigrants and non-EU citizens living in Europe

According to a publication by the European Commission on 11/04/2024 there were 448.8 million inhabitants in the EU at the end of 2023, of which 6% (27.3 million) were non-EU citizens and 9% (42.4 million) were born outside of the EU. The publication also looks at the issue of irregular crossings into the EU and states that in last year 385,445 such crossings were registered, comprising of 270,366 sea crossings and 115,079 land border crossings, which together represent a huge 18% increase from the previous year, 2022.

Immigration: a controversial topic

The subject of immigration causes immense public and political debate, and has become particularly prominent during the last decade. Studies have shown that left-wing party voters are much more tolerant and open minded towards immigrants then right-wing voters, and that supporters of the green party are the most welcoming. [Heliyon, 27/02/2023, National Library of Medicine]

Patriotism or racism?

Many left-wing and green party voters claim that the right-wing stance on immigration is heavily based on racism, and Facebook groups such as Stand Up to Racism have been created with this view in mind, the aforementioned of which is even encouraging people across the U.K. to get out on the streets this Saturday August 10^th and protest against the far-right. Right-wing groups, meanwhile, defend their anti-immigration views and insist that patriotism does not signify racism or discrimination.

However, when looking at the argument against cultural diversity and the use of the term, erosion, when referring to national identity, it must be noted that for decades now, multiculturalism has been a big part of Western society, with its roots based in changes to attitudes after World War II, which author and Social Anthropologist, Susanne Wessendorf, who specialises in migration, transnationalism and diversity, refers to as the `human rights resolution´, in the wake of the horrors of the Holocaust´s intended ethnic cleansing. `Multiculturalism in Western society was seen to combat racism [and] protect minority communities´. [Multiculturalism, Wikipedia]

The lines between racism, patriotism and anti-immigration can be difficult to clearly define, and opinions on the subject, both publicly and politically, are divided.