EU Migration Policy between Defense and Integration

In the last two decades, migratory movements have noticeably impacted the population structure in Europe. Initially, the freedom of movement in the EU, in conjunction with the eastern enlargement, triggered a movement from east to west. From 2015 onwards, there was a massive influx from third countries, for which there were too few reception capacities in the Union. A defensive attitude developed among the population, which was exploited and amplified by nationalist populists. The following sections first address the attitude of the population in Europe towards immigration and then discuss the actual and possible measures within the framework of migration policy. This is followed by a discussion of the policy for the integration of immigrants in the destination country.