LThe economic irrationality of migration policies is proven and is not specific to France. This is shown very well The Economist in its edition of December 23, 2023, requesting a “detoxification” of these policies. Whether it is boats on the Channel or immigration in general, politicians of the Old Continent are practicing one-upmanship, estimates the British economic weekly.
The economist El Mouhoub Mouhoud demonstrates for its part that the “immigration regime” inherited from colonialism in France is not very competitive internationally. A study by the Center for Global Development, published in 2021, indicated that the labor shortage would be around 44 million workers in Europe, including 3.6 million in the United Kingdom, 3.9 million in France and 7 million in Germany.
We can only note the growing ravages of populism and the progression of far-right ideas, but also the confusion between asylum requests and other forms of migration. The European Commission, responsible for organizing solidarity, has shown its powerlessness since 2015.
After the victory of Geert Wilders in the Dutch legislative elections, the observations of political scientist Cas Mudde confirm a worrying situation in Europe. The election was orchestrated by the competing parties in “racialized” terms and the standard of living and the housing problem are presented to voters on immigration matters. It is the government parties which are at the origin of an alignment with the ideological framework of the extreme right.
Case by case
The parallel here is striking with what is happening in France, where parties, and not polls, impose their themes. In this regard, the research illustrates the fragile nature of studies concerning opinions relating to immigration and the powerful danger of their possible manipulation: the simple repeated mention of immigration facts modifies opinions.
As far as Denmark and Norway are concerned, the idea of reserving the benefits of generous social protection for nationals appeared thirty years ago among far-right parties. These parties thus invented “chauvinism of the welfare [Etat-providence] “. In Denmark, openly anti-immigrant policies emerged in 2002 with the center right, then continued with the coming to power of Mette Frederiksen’s social democratic party in 2019.
The Danish government went so far as to take up the program of the far right, with the aim of a “zero refugees” policy and launched the idea of expatriating candidates for asylum to Rwanda. On a case-by-case basis, however, Denmark negotiates exceptions for its recruitment difficulties. The Danish key point remains the cultural cohesion of the country.
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