Mixed Migration Review 2024

Migration politics, migration narratives and public opinions

About the Mixed Migration Review 2024

Migration politics, migration narratives and public opinions in 2024 – the year of elections

This year’s Mixed Migration Review explores the interwoven relationship involving politics and migration. Almost half the world’s population in more than 80 countries headed to the polls in 2024. The scale is unprecedented, but so is the salience of migration politics many of these countries.

Essays will look at how the migration question is often a convenient ‘crisis’ for some – advancing their political agenda through the instrumentalization of migration – often with far-reaching consequences for migrants. We look at the dependency of rising populism globally on maintaining the migration ‘threats’, and explore the role of  modern media systems in creating and maintaining migration narratives which in turn directly impact public opinion and voting behaviour. Five shorter essays from young writers participating in this year’s essay competition will offer unique regional perspectives on migration and politics. As always, the Mixed Migration Review 2024 will also document the best and worst behaviour by authorities in relation to mixed migration in the annual “Resisting and Normalising the Extreme” features.

Surveys with 60,000 migrants challenge common migration myths in the MMR 2024

MMC’s 4Mi data featuring in this year’s report will bring compelling evidence to challenge some myths and misconceptions that continue to persist in public and political debate and narratives on migration.

Online launch and panel discussion

The panel discussion for the online launch centred on the politics of migration narratives. How migration narratives shape perceptions, policies, and their real-life consequences for people on the move.

Opening remarks were by Raphaela Schweiger, Director of Migration, Immigration Society & Global Issues, in the Robert Bosch Foundation and Bram Frouws, Director of the Mixed Migration Centre.

Panellists were:
Sophie Beau, Cofounder and general director of SOS Méditerranée.
Francisco Javier Bokesa Abia, Councillor Delegate for Citizen Participation and Foreign Cooperation in Fuenlabrada city, Spain
Andrew Geddes, Professor of Migration Studies and director of the Migration Policy Centre
Daniela Mohor, Latin America editor-at-large for The New Humanitarian

View the online launch video:

Sneak previews: Interviews and Articles

The Netherlands’ politically manufactured migration crisis

In July 2024, following elections in November 2023, the new Dutch government was officially sworn in. It consists of a coalition of four parties: the far-right, anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV), the centre-right Liberals (VVD), the New Social Contract (NSC) party—recently established by former Christian Democrat Pieter Omtzigt—and the right-wing and populist Farmer Citizen Movement...

Germany: populist far right strengthened by terror acts

The populist right strengthened by terror acts: Germany pushed towards major changes. The article was published online as a sneak preview to the Mixed Migration Review 2024  "Migration Politics, Migration Narratives and Public Opinions".   On 23 August during a festival in Solingen, Germany, a mass stabbing attack which killed three people and injured another...

Fake News-Driven Anti-Migrant Riots and Protests in the UK

The extraordinary case of fake-news-driven ‘populist’ street violence: Anti-migrants summer riots & protests in the UK. This article was published online as a sneak preview to the Mixed Migration Review 2024  "Migration Politics, Migration Narratives and Public Opinions".   This summer’s protests and violence in the UK were an extraordinary case of a multi-locational, anti-migrant...