Could regular migration reduce irregular migration?

The numbers are clear. According to the International Organization for Migration, the arrivals of refugees and migrants in Europe by sea have been declining since last year. It is no longer possible to hide behind the pretext of the “crisis” to justify the EU’s and its Member States’ political incapability or unwillingness to deal with this in an efficient and humane way.

Nonetheless, in the European Union, the poisonous debate on migration has reached extremely unpleasant picks in 2018, and the arrival, in the early weeks of the summer, of yet another boat full of desperate people fleeing from dire situations has been the excuse for quarrels on responsibilities, triggered particularly by the change of government in Italy and the U-turn of Rome’s migration policy, which has shifted from a welcoming approach – albeit imperfect – to the closure of ports. Lives were saved, as well as European honour, by a brave initiative taken by the socialist government of Pedro Sanchez.

Migration continues to be a very divisive issue in the EU. In certain cases, it is becoming a collective obsession, fed by the many misperceptions surrounding it and by the insistent propaganda on traditional and social media. In some European countries, populist and right-wing parties have, so far, successfully hijacked the debate on migration, portraying themselves as tireless guardians of national identities and territories from the “invasion of migrants”, and increasingly filling the political discourse with xenophobic and racist tones.