Europe faces major migration policy challenges. In many regions of the world, the pressure to emigrate is increasing, and more people than ever are attempting to escape political violence, oppression, lack of economic prospects and environmental changes and seeking a better future for themselves and their families in the EU member states. At the same time, due to aging and shrinking European populations, the need for immigration is growing. To date, however, there is no societal or political consensus on the management of this migration and the growing ethnic and cultural diversity. Uncertainty prevails in regard to the number of immigrants that are needed or wanted, the tools to be used to guide this migration, and the ways in which immigrants should be integrated.

What issues and problems should a European migration policy address? How can a common coherent European migration policy be developed?

• In the policy paper commissioned by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Steffen Angenendt analyses the state of the current European migration policies and suggests principles for a common coherent migration policy in Europe.
• Umberto Melotti compares the immigration policies in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy to demonstrate a recent tendency towards a more common migration policy.
• Jakob von Weizsäcker identifies high-skilled immigration, irregular migration, and asylum as the main concerns and challenges of a European migration policy and formulates policy recommendations.
• Bernd Hemingway discusses the role of the International Organization of Migration in global migration, highlighting its involvement in the governance of European migration.
• Michele Wucker illustrates the consequences of conflicting policies which affect migrants’ lives in the sending as well as receiving countries.
• Thomas Huddleston discusses the MIPEX project as a means to evaluate European migration policies and illuminate aspects of policy impacts.