Europe's Decade-Long "Migration Crisis": Who Really Benefits?

For ten years, Europe has acted as if it is in a permanent migration emergency. But a leading researcher argues this endless "crisis" mostly benefits the hardline political right and private profiteers. The political winners have been far-right and hard-right parties. They gain power because centrist parties continue to legitimize their harsh views on migration, says Dr. Maurice Stierl, a migration expert at Germany’s University of Osnabrück. The word "crisis" comes from the Greek *krisis*, meaning a sudden disruption. However, since 2015—when one million people fled to Europe—the sense of emergency has not ended. It has become a normal, lasting condition. This permanent state of alarm does not mean Europe cannot handle new arrivals. Instead, Stierl suggests, it shows that many groups profit from keeping the idea of a crisis alive. The issue of migration has been fully "weaponized" in politics. It is now difficult to remember a time when it was not seen as an urgent threat.