Immigration: The Weapon of Mass Politics

The West is being remade not just by economic competition or military threats, but by demographic and cultural anxiety. Country after country in the developed world is seeing its politics permanently altered by the after-effects of migration and mobility.

Mass migration is often beyond any one nation’s control, driven by global trends in conflict, inequality, and climate change; and yet electorates still demand of their leaders that mobility must be subject to strong state-level immigration policies. These anxieties can be exacerbated when migration numbers run ahead of the state’s capacity to integrate new arrivals into existing culture; when the demographic and skill profile of migrants do not fit with the objective needs of their host nation; and when political parties use immigration as a way to rally their voting base. This panel identifies where the median lies, and how nations can have a sensible approach to immigration that preserves their cultural stability, strengthens the economy, and maintains international order.

As migration comes in many forms, from political asylum to high-skilled transfers, is it possible for political leaders to differentiate between these strands or will electoral dynamics eventually collapse the narrative into the competitive weaponisation of migration?
As countries erect bigger barriers along their borders, are they being as effective at managing their negative demographic profiles? Is migration or demographic decline a greater threat to cultural vitality and national strength?

Are current models of assimilation and integration fit for purpose, or are they being rendered irrelevant in the face of new media, greater mobility, and deeper cultural divides?

Is shared prosperity the best antidote to migratory pressures? If so, will the rising backlash against immigration see an increase in development finance and assistance?

Speakers:

Ágnes Vadai, Member of the National Assembly, Hungary

Karan Bilimoria, Member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom

Vinay P. Sahasrabuddhe, Former Rajya Sabha Member, India

Clara von Nathusius, Head, Department for Press, Social Media and Online Communications, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, Germany

Nevada Lee, Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations, United States of America

Moderator: Rachel Rizzo, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India

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