With a tough speech and promises of mass deportation, Donald Trump, the new president-elect of the United States, could introduce strict measures on immigration, thus marking a turning point for millions of migrants and influencing debates in Europe.
Barely elected as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump reaffirmed his strong stance on immigration, promising “the largest expulsion of migrants in American history.”
In an unequivocal speech, he declared: “We will stop illegal immigration once and for all. We will not be invaded, we will not be occupied.”
This rhetoric, which worries millions of people living on American soil, outlines the contours of a strict migration policy with potentially global consequences.
A climate of fear for migrants in the United States
Donald Trump’s announcements are causing concern, particularly for illegal immigrants. François Gemenne, director of the observatory on migratory flows at the University of Liège, warns of the human repercussions of these new directions:
“Compared to the situation of millions of immigrants in the United States who are in an irregular situation, but who have sometimes lived in the country for years, who contribute, pay taxes, have children in school… indeed, his election will creating, I truly fear, a climate of fear.”
This climate of uncertainty is fueled by Trump’s stated desire to launch, upon his inauguration, a massive deportation program. This brutal approach could affect families and individuals who have long been integrated into American society.
A dehumanizing discourse that is spreading in Europe
The tone used by Trump also has repercussions beyond borders. François Gemenne deplores “this sort of semiotic drift where more and more migrants are dehumanized, considered as animals, as wild, dangerous beasts. We can clearly see that this is a rhetoric and an imagination that is also gaining on us in Europe.”
This tendency to portray immigration through an alarmist and dehumanizing prism resonates with certain European officials.
Europe tempted by hardening borders
In Belgium, Theo Francken, former secretary of state for migration, seems to share this vision and considers Trump’s position as a model to follow: “Trump is going to close, close the southern borders. We must do that too. No irregular immigration. We continue in Europe to take everyone here. People are fed up.”
He said this sentiment is contributing to the rise of far-right parties, such as Vlaams Belang in Flanders, which are capturing a growing share of votes by promising stricter immigration policies.
A possible knock-on effect for European policies
Even though the United States has lost some of its international influence, its policy choices often continue to resonate elsewhere in the world.
Europe, faced with migration challenges and a rise in nationalist discourse, could also toughen its immigration policies under the leadership of the hard line embodied by Trump.
The next few years will tell whether the words of the American president and the policies he wishes to implement will lead to a hardening of the migratory positions of European countries.
Donald Trump US elections 2024 immigration
