The pointless European row over migrants

Giorgia Meloni and Mette Frederiksen had managed to bring about an unprecedented shift in the European Union’s migration policy, imposing a much tougher approach to border control and asylum procedures. But by pushing too hard towards far-right positions, the (nationalist) Italian Prime Minister and the (social-democratic) Danish Prime Minister have gone too far.

At yesterday’s European Council, heads of state and government failed to reach agreement on much of the text of the conclusions relating to migration. Meloni and Frederiksen had tabled an amendment. The text was not only directed against the mass regularisation programme carried out by Pedro Sánchez’s government in Spain, which it described as a measure that ‘encourages’ irregular immigration. The amendment also echoed the narrative put forward by the European far right – from Alternative for Germany to Marine Le Pen – regarding social unrest, the threat to the cohesion of our societies, and the strain on public services such as schools and hospitals. The text also drew a direct link between immigration and crime.

The debate among the leaders has become heated, despite the fact that Meloni and Frederiksen have the support of a majority of leaders. The socialist Sánchez opposed their amendment, finding support from Emmanuel Macron and other leaders, such as the Luxembourgish Prime Minister, the conservative Luc Frieden. Not only was the Meloni-Frederiksen amendment rejected, but much of the European Council’s conclusions on progress in managing migration policies were scrapped. Macron condemned Meloni and Frederiksen’s attempt to exploit the Ceuta crisis for political ends in order to weaken Sánchez. “When this debate is politicised, it creates division. When we are divided, we revert to national solutions and become ineffective,” said the French President.