Migration to the EU. A Review of Narratives and Approaches.

Aim of this brochure

The aim of this brochure is to present current knowledge on migration narratives about the European Union (EU) and current approaches to migration since 2015 across the 15 countries in which PERCEPTIONS research is conducted. It maps the landscape of narratives on migration and Europe as a basis to understand migration flows and decisions as well as migration-related policies, perceived threats, and best practices to address migration challenges on local, national and international levels.

The information in this brochure summarises the results of Work Package 2 (PERCEPTIONS RESEARCH: Literature, studies, projects, stakeholders, solutions, tools and practices). The material is based on the review of 221 academic sources about narratives, 149 policies as well as 177 perceived and actual challenges and threats and 149 good practices collected by the 25 partners in the PERCEPTIONS consortium.1

The brochure is divided into three parts

Part one sets the scene by outlining the current knowledge about narratives in the academic literature. This part focuses in particular on examining migrants’ perceptions of the EU as a suitable migration destination and host societies’ perceptions of migration. It further examines how such information and narratives are distributed via disparate channels such as social, digital and mainstream media. Part one also offers a critical evaluation of current research on migration drawing attention to a lack of knowledge about specific migrant groups and migration phases.

Part two examines current migration policies focusing on the different approaches to policymaking in countering and preventing threats linked with migration behaviour. In this context, we also offer a critical evaluation about the disparate types of threats to migrants and host societies reported in relevant documents. Part two further summarises current approaches to migration and explores current and best practices and migration policies.

Part three integrates insights from the previous sections by formulating five recommendations addressed to policy makers, front-line practitioners, and researchers. These recommendations advocate for rethinking the terminology of migration, better capturing the full diversity of migration experiences, the strategic involvement of all stakeholder groups, creating and linking infrastructures and for systematically addressing the gaps in current knowledge about migration to Europe which are highlighted throughout this brochure.