OPPORTUNITIES: Crises as opportunities: towards a level telling field on migration and a new narrative of successful integration

– There is no evidence of a long-term decline in positive attitudes toward migration following the 2015-16 ‘refugee crisis’.

– Statistical analyses also found no clear correlation between the number of immigrants received by a country or its economic difficulties and anti-migrant sentiment.

– However, survey analyses highlighted clear differences between member states when it comes to views on migration.

– A comparative analysis of Twitter accounts by political parties in four European member states (Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Italy) confirms that the debate between the political left and the political right increasingly centers on the pros and cons of immigration.

– Media narratives privilege the scale of regional or national debates at the expense of migrants’ experience or global phenomena. In particular, journalists or NGOs working with refugees and migrants across Europe tend to resort to “vicarious storytelling”, i.e. the practice of speaking on behalf of others.

– A new narrative on migration requires a fair dialogue which involves migrants, citizens, and stakeholders on an equal footing.