THE sentiment that “migration is a nightmare” reflects a widely discussed and politically sensitive topic linked to international policies, resource management and human rights concerns.
News reports often use “nightmare” to describe the difficulties faced by migrants and the political and logistical challenges for destination countries. For migrants, several key issues contribute to this perspective. Those forcibly displaced often endure pre-migration trauma and dangerous journeys, facing exploitation and violence. Many encounter complex or inaccessible protection systems, crowded shelters and lack access to necessities like clean water and healthcare during transit and upon arrival. Policies and enforcement actions sometimes separate families, causing emotional distress and legal hurdles for reunification. Legal immigration systems can be lengthy and costly, with inefficient asylum or family reunification processes, pushing some to pursue illegal or riskier routes. These factors collectively shape the perception of migration as a nightmare.
For destination countries, Migration has become a central and divisive issue in politics, with various groups using “nightmare” rhetoric to advocate for different policies, from stricter border control to more humane processing. A rapid influx of people places significant pressure on public services, housing and healthcare in destination areas, thus arising anti-migrants sentiment and the economic impact, including concerns about downward pressure on wages for low-skilled workers and the costs associated with supporting new arrivals. The implementation of various border control and interior enforcement strategies has been described as a “logistical disaster” and raised human rights concerns, including reports of mistreatment in detention facilities. Overall, the characterization of “migration as a nightmare” stems from a combination of the real humanitarian crises faced by those on the move and the intense political and social friction the issue generates worldwide.
In the past decade, twenty-nine million immigrants, both legal and illegal, arrived in Europe, straining the continent’s overstretched and largely dysfunctional immigration system. In 2023 alone, some 4.5 million immigrants entered Europe—3.5 million legally, 1 million illegally—predominantly from Africa and the Middle East, with Syria leading, followed by West Africans and Afghans. The 2022 mass migration of Ukrainians following Russia’s second invasion added pressure, with UNHCR estimating 6.5 million Ukrainian refugees as of early 2024, though the actual number may be closer to 10 million. The inflow of people has made immigration a defining driver of European politics. Rising concerns about crime, public safety and poor integration policies have fueled public discontent across Western Europe and Scandinavia, exemplified by recent UK riots. Europe’s asylum laws, outdated since 2005, failed during the 2015 surge, while the expanded Schengen Area has made entry into one country effectively entry into all of Europe.
Since 2015, public anger over the costs and scale of mass immigration has fueled anti-immigration sentiment across both established parties and previously marginal movements in Germany. A notable example is the 2022 state elections, where the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) made significant gains in Hesse and Bavaria, expanding its influence beyond the five eastern Länder. The AfD has since evolved into a national force, surpassing the SPD to become Germany’s second-largest party. In response to public pressure, the “traffic light” coalition of the SPD, FDP, and Greens pledged to accelerate repatriation agreements with third countries and reduce social payments for asylum seekers. The government has also aimed to limit the movement of refugees from Italy’s Lampedusa to Germany and to negotiate an EU-wide agreement on migrant relocation among member states. These measures reflect a broader attempt to balance public concern with migration management within Germany and across the EU.
To address Europe’s deepening migration crisis, in May of 2024 the European Union adopted a new migration pact, the so-called Pact on Migration and Asylum which outlines how the member-states will handle people trying to enter the EU illegally. The key provisions include screening asylum applicants at the point of entry and immediate deportation once the asylum claim has been denied. The most contentious portion is the so-called mandatory solidarity mechanism, which empowers the EU to relocate at least 30,000 migrants each year, with receiving member states compelled to admit and care for a specified number of asylum seekers. Nations that refuse to accept migrants will be charged 20,000 euros per migrant. Debates about the relative fairness and effectiveness of the changes in the EU plan to deal with migration aside, most of the new laws will not be implemented until 2026, bringing no immediate relief to the most affected countries.
The declining fertility rates across the Continent and immigrant-driven growth of Europe’s populations, taken together with strains associated with acculturation and religious differences among communities, make designing a workable immigration policy a key priority for the European Union. The problem of border control and asylum laws—though seemingly intractable—pales in comparison with the stresses associated with the aging populations across Europe and with integration and acculturation of non-European immigrants, especially those from Muslim countries. The ethnic map of Europe is changing. Estimates vary, but it is generally accepted that some 25 million Muslims live today in the 28 EU member states.
According to IOM, the Global Overview of Migration Routes, in 2025 is shifting based on primary data from key routes with Libya’s growing role as a major migration hub in North Africa and Complex journeys from South Asia to Libya and Italy. Life for Syrian migrants in the Netherlands and insights into their hopes and challenges around returning home. Migration along the Central American and Western African Atlantic routes has dropped sharply due to new policies as more people are heading south, using new sea routes to avoid the dangerous regions. These shifts show how border enforcement is reshaping migration paths and increasing the challenges people face on the move.
—The writer is Former Civil Servant and Consultant (ILO) & International Organisation for Migration and author of seven books.
