SThere is one area where no one disputes the essential role that Europe must play, and that is immigration. Because the continent, supposedly losing momentum, massively attracts those left behind by development, the victims of wars and political tyrannies. In 2023, 380,000 people entered the European Union (EU) irregularly – a drop in the bucket compared to the 450 million inhabitants – this figure is the highest since 2016. But also because the European project, built on the free movement of goods and people, imposes, under penalty of decay, control of the EU’s external borders. 86% of Europeans want to see it strengthened according to a survey by the Fondapol think tank, including 80% of left-wing voters.
The problem is that the speeches on this subject, which dominates the campaign for the European elections on June 9, revolve more around simplistic slogans than on ideas likely to have a grip on reality.
Take the “double border” advocated by Jordan Bardella, head of the National Rally (RN) list. It is first of all “systematically turn back migrant boats that want to arrive on European soil”. On this point, Marine Le Pen’s heir should seek advice from Giorgia Meloni. The president of the Italian council came to power promising a “naval blockade” for this purpose. Since leading her country, she has called for EU solidarity and cooperation from North African countries to prevent arrivals. It even authorized 452,000 foreigners to work in Italy by 2025.
Mr. Bardella also wants to deprive foreigners who are not EU nationals of free movement in the Schengen area. But when Prime Minister Gabriel Attal pointed out to him that such a measure would involve screening everyone, including cross-border workers, and would create huge queues, the far-right leader responded. focused on the idea of “strengthen random checks”precisely what is happening today.
Laboriously negotiated compromises
The same gap between shocking slogan and reality applies to the idea of “physical barriers in the East (walls, ditches, cameras, artificial intelligence, etc.)” that François-Xavier Bellamy, head of the Les Républicains (LR) list in the European elections, dreams of deploying. The example of the walls erected on the Mexican border, notably during the mandate of Donald Trump, which did not prevent record arrivals of migrants, raises doubts about the effectiveness of these installations.
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