Why migration matters - evolving concepts and policies within the EU

Abstract

This article examines the multifaceted nature of contemporary migra tion, emphasising both individual motivations and the broader geopo litical dynamics that influence migration policies and international rela tions. Globalisation and recent crises, including the European Union’s 2015–2016 migration crisis and the refugee influx from Ukraine, have significantly intensified migration flows. Migration also plays a stra tegic role in diplomatic negotiations, with states leveraging migration patterns to achieve political and economic objectives. The EU’s response to irregular migration, highlighted by its 2024 Pact on Migration and Asylum, aims to balance security concerns with humanitarian obliga tions. Additionally, the politicisation and instrumentalisation of migra tion, seen in cases like the Belarus-EU and Russia-Finland border con texts, underscore the security implications of migration as a tool fo political influence. These dynamics reveal an ongoing tension between national sovereignty and EU-wide policy harmonisation, underscoring the need for adaptive, cooperative frameworks to address the evolving challenges of migration.