Far-right surge drives EU’s shift toward hardline refugee policies
Anti-immigration rhetoric shapes Europe’s future, keeping refugees central to EU debates
Last week, European Union leaders convened in Brussels to focus on migration policies, particularly strategies for deporting individuals from the EU. Dutch far-right election winner Geert Wilders declared that a “new wind is blowing in Europe,” referring to the increasing acceptance of stricter migration policies.
Following a meeting of the far-right group ‘Patriots for Europe’, it was noted that their agenda aligns with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s vision, including partnerships with non-EU countries, fortified borders, and new deportation centres.
The rise of far-right parties across Europe in recent years has reignited debates over refugees, once again placing the issue at the forefront of the EU’s political agenda.
Driven by concerns over security, economic stability, and national identity, this shift is reshaping Europe’s approach to refugee intake, with countries like the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, and Sweden leading the charge for tighter controls.
Over the past decade, anti-immigration, anti-refugee, and Islamophobic rhetoric has gained traction across Europe. Far-right parties have successfully turned public concerns about refugees into electoral victories. The 2024 European elections saw these parties gain more power than ever before.
Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia, led by Giorgia Meloni, Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ), Sweden’s Sweden Democrats, and the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom (PVV) under Geert Wilders have all achieved significant success by pushing anti-refugee agendas.
In Italy, Prime Minister Meloni has championed hardline refugee policies, including the offshoring of asylum processing to countries like Albania. This approach, aimed at deterring irregular migration, has caught the attention of other European leaders searching for “innovative solutions.” However, these offshore models, which echo the UK’s controversial Rwanda plan, are ineffective, costly, and fraught with human rights concerns.
Human rights groups and EU leadership
The Netherlands, under Wilders’ influence, has also proposed radical measures, including the deportation of rejected asylum seekers to Uganda. While the legal feasibility of this plan remains uncertain, it underscores how far-right ideas, such as creating “repatriation hubs” in third countries are shaping national policies, despite opposition from human rights groups and EU leadership.
The success of these far-right parties has pushed the refugee issue back to the top of the EU’s agenda, even as the number of irregular migrants has declined since the 2015 crisis.
The political landscape has shifted dramatically, with anti-refugee sentiment now influencing mainstream parties concerned about electoral losses. Leaders in countries like Denmark, Hungary, and Poland, historically hardline on refugee policies, have found their positions bolstered by this broader European trend.
One of the far-right’s key strategies is framing refugees as a security threat. High-profile incidents like the Solingen knife attack in Germany or gang-related violence in Sweden, have fuelled public fears and provided fertile ground for far-right narratives.
These parties argue that current EU refugee policies are too lenient, facilitating criminality, radicalisation, and the erosion of European cultural values. In response, far-right leaders are calling for stricter deportation policies, enhanced border controls, and the establishment of offshore “repatriation hubs”.
The reintroduction of border controls within the Schengen Zone by countries like Germany, France, Austria, and Sweden further illustrates the growing influence of far-right policies. These measures, while threatening the EU’s principle of free movement, have become politically necessary for mainstream leaders seeking to hold onto power.
The offshore processing of asylum seekers, once considered too extreme, is now gaining momentum, particularly in countries where far-right parties have seen electoral success. Italy’s agreement with Albania, which sets up asylum centers outside the EU to process migrants intercepted at sea, is a notable example. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni views this as a way to relieve pressure on Italy’s overburdened reception centers, but it also transfers Europe’s moral responsibility to poorer nations and puts refugees at greater risk.
Despite the limited scale of the Albania plan, it has already been criticised for inefficiency and high costs, with the last week transfer of 16 asylum seekers being labelled a failure by opponents. However, European Commission President has shown openness to exploring similar offshore processing models, marking a significant shift in the EU’s asylum policy.
Impractical and morally questionable
While far-right parties have reshaped the refugee debate, the EU remains divided on how to address the issue. Countries like Belgium, Ireland, and Germany have expressed doubts about the effectiveness and legality of offshore processing centers. Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris has called these proposals both impractical and morally questionable.
Furthermore, while far-right leaders push for stricter deportation policies, the EU’s deportation system remains deeply flawed. Only about 20% of rejected asylum seekers are successfully returned to their countries of origin, a figure that far-right leaders cite to justify their calls for more radical solutions.
Countries like the Netherlands and Hungary are also seeking opt-outs from the EU’s new migration pact, which was adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024. However, such opt-outs would require treaty amendments, which demand unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states, making them unlikely to be granted.
The rise of far-right parties across Europe has brought the refugee issue back to the forefront of the EU’s political agenda. Their influence has pressured mainstream parties to adopt tougher stances on asylum seekers. However, these policies remain deeply controversial, as they face significant legal, ethical, and logistical challenges.
Although migration numbers may be lower than in 2015, the political impact of far-right anti-immigration rhetoric continues to shape Europe’s future, keeping refugees at the center of the EU’s political debates.