Marion Marechal, one of the prominent personalities from a far-right French political family, asked only one question on the voting day, “ Do you want an Islamised Europe or a European Europe?”
Across Europe the anti-migrant sentiments are growing stronger. This is due to the fact that the 27-country bloc prepares for next week’s parliamentary elections. This extraordinary increase became the reason to catch the attention of many voters. In 2019, during the last election, the EU processed about half a million asylum applications annually.
According to the report of border agency Frontex, the number of illegal crossings increased in Europe and broke the high record of 2016. In 2023, Europe approved the new migration law. This law begins in 2026. The main purpose of it is to track new arrivals, establish detention centers, and speed up the process of vetting and deporting migrants. Critics are not satisfied with this law. According to them this plan will create a problematic surveillance system and deny migrants their right to seek asylum.
There are many deals that Europe has made, such as the $6 billion agreement with Turkey. However the European Union could not calculate how most of the money Turkey used. The United Kingdom also made a deal with Rwanda. It is related to sending rejected asylum seekers there. But this plan was postponed due to the 4th July election in this country. At the same time, Italy is setting up centers in Albania to hold migrants.
The European Union has promised to help the different nations by giving $8 billion in order to cope up with their economic complications and reduce migration. The nations included in it are
Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, and Mauritania.
However, The Washington Post revealed that Europe has been funding North African operations to detain migrants and move them to desert areas to discourage migration.
Furthermore, many European countries, approximately 15, have requested the EU to send more asylum seekers to other nations. An example of such a request is the Italy-Albania agreement.
Voters are still unhappy just because such deterrence measures usually don’t work. In a May survey, over 70% of Europeans said their country takes in too many immigrants, and 85% wanted the EU to do more to stop it.
Some political parties focus heavily on immigration. It includes Le Pen’s National Rally, Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), and Iberian Peninsula’s Vox and Chega, along with Poland and Hungary ruling parties. All of them shed light on the voter concerns portraying immigrants as threats to jobs, security, and cultural identity.
“ Great Replacement” of Europeans is happening. This is the claim from far-right speakers that were exposed at the rally in Hungary.
The segment of the media campaign has started from the side of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The purpose of it is to criticize such actions. This campaign includes newspapers, videos, books, and documentaries, to combat what he sees as growing Islamophobia in the West. It also highlights the Conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Many parties participate in European politics such as the Turkish-led Dava Party. Dava has the special purpose of participating. The aim is to promotes tolerance and diversity, supports migrants and aims to combat anti-Muslim sentiment.
One Of the main candidates of Dava is Fatih Zingal. This person previously worked for a group that Germany’s state broadcaster says is a Turkish lobby. There is another candidate that is a former official of DITIB. This personality oversees 900 German mosques with imams trained and employed by the Turkish government.
In order to reduce the reliance on Turkish trained imams, Germany itself launched a new program. The aim of it is to train the imam locally. Furthermore, many German officials show worries about Dava’s objectives fearing it may serve Turkish policy interests in Germany.
German democracy is under the danger zone. Turkish officials argue that the West is morally bankrupt and that Islamic civilization is ready to take its place, which seems politically motivated in a secular democracy. Furthermore, Dava leans liberal, not conservative.
Additionally, Germany also introduced the new citizenship law. This law will increase the German Muslims eligibility to vote independently, explaining why Dava is not alone.
Xenophobia seems to be becoming the norm. Despite the rise of parties that support migrants and studies showing that migrants often boost economies, Europe seems to be closing its doors.
From Spain to the Ottoman Empire’s legacy in the Balkans, Europe is in the grip of a fortress mentality as far-right parties gain ground. However, the rise of diverse political voices should eventually swing the pendulum in the opposite direction.
