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As anti-immigration sentiment surges across Europe, political leaders are increasingly adopting migration strategies that, while less overtly inflammatory than those of Donald Trump, are edging closer to his controversial policies. Though European leaders avoid explicitly endorsing the mass deportation of millions or imposing a blanket ban on Muslims—except for perhaps Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—the European Union (EU) is moving towards policies that bear striking similarities to those of Trump’s administration.

 

The trend of tightening borders has gained momentum after significant electoral victories by anti-immigrant parties throughout Europe. Unlike Trump’s frequently racist and xenophobic rhetoric, European leaders have largely refrained from such inflammatory language. However, when it comes to migration policy itself, the gap between the EU and Trump’s approach is not as wide as it may seem. Recent meetings in Brussels revealed European leaders engaging in long discussions about faster deportations, migrant processing centers, and even "hybrid warfare," a term they use to describe the tactic of hostile powers using migrants to destabilize Europe.

 

The Dutch anti-immigrant and anti-Islam populist leader Geert Wilders summed it up when he declared, “A new wind is blowing in Europe,” following a gathering of far-right figures in Brussels. His sentiment highlights how far Europe's political mainstream has shifted on the issue of migration in just a few years.

 

Since the 2015 migration crisis, when over a million refugees, predominantly fleeing the Syrian civil war, arrived in Europe, the EU has steadily hardened its stance. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's famous "we can do it" message in welcoming refugees has given way to the bloc now working actively to prevent new arrivals from reaching its borders. In 2023, fewer than 300,000 migrants made it to the continent, and this year, the EU’s border agency, Frontex, estimates only 160,000 migrants will reach European shores.

 

In response to growing domestic pressures, several European countries have introduced new border measures. Poland recently halted the processing of asylum requests from migrants crossing from Belarus, citing national security concerns. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reinstated border checks this summer after a Syrian man carried out a knife attack, killing three people and injuring several others. Six other European nations, including France, Austria, and Italy, have also introduced new border control measures aimed at stopping the flow of undocumented migrants.

 

Experts suggest that if Trump were to return to the White House, it could embolden European leaders who are already leaning toward a stricter migration stance. Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, head of European migration and diversity at the European Policy Centre, remarked, “Certainly, many member states that have pushed for a restrictive approach to migration will be watching the American elections very closely. This will give [EU countries pushing for more restrictions] further bargaining chips to push for their preferences both in the U.S. as well as in the EU.”

 

The growing talk of "return hubs" and migrant "processing centers" in EU discussions mirrors some of Trump’s policies, such as his "Migrant Protection Program" (also known as "Remain in Mexico"). This controversial program, implemented in 2019, required thousands of non-Mexican migrants to remain in Mexico while their U.S. asylum applications were processed. The EU is now exploring similar approaches. In a recent letter to EU leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen supported the creation of “return hubs”—facilities to hold migrants in non-EU countries. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has even begun establishing processing centers in Albania, a move that echoes Australia’s controversial practice of processing asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea.

 

Meanwhile, France is pushing for changes to EU law that would make it easier to deport migrants to third countries. The EU already boasts an extensive network of physical barriers, with thousands of kilometers of fencing along its external borders, far surpassing Trump’s heavily publicized but incomplete border wall with Mexico.

 

Some analysts warn that the normalization of this tough migration rhetoric across Europe is driving the policy direction toward the hard right. Whether or not Trump returns to power, Europe seems to be quietly mirroring his stance on migration, reinforcing border controls, and exploring increasingly restrictive methods to manage incoming migrants and refugees.

 

Based on a report from Politico 2024-10-22

 

 

 

[John Drake]

Just cut them off. No benefits at all for non-citizens. No free housing. No free food. No cash. No telephones. No health coverage. Nothing. They'll leave of their own accord soon enough.

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Just cut them off. No benefits at all for non-citizens. No free housing. No free food. No cash. No telephones. No health coverage. Nothing. They'll leave of their own accord soon enough.

There are UN International Convention on the Protection and humane rights for migrants. Of course, Trump has no regards for UN convention in his border policies. 

[milesinnz]

50 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

There are UN International Convention on the Protection and humane rights for migrants. Of course, Trump has no regards for UN convention in his border policies. 

as far as I know, Thailand is not signed up to these.. time for European countries to withdraw.. they are no longer fit for their original purpose... the US could withdraw as well.. that should satisfy you ?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Just cut them off. No benefits at all for non-citizens. No free housing. No free food. No cash. No telephones. No health coverage. Nothing. They'll leave of their own accord soon enough.

Add mandatory deportation for any convicted of a crime.

[jippytum]

Action not  just words against illegal immigration is a vote winner. 

Voters are quarenteed action from Trump that's why they are voting for him. 

[giddyup]

Why do they wait until things reach a critical level before anything is done? The writing has been on the wall for years but the pollies have their heads buried in the sand.