Risks and Benefits of Migration

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What are the potential risks and benefits of migration for European states and societies? Introduction In this essay I am going to address the issue of migration and the potential risks and benefits that it has on state and society. I believe it is important to find a standpoint that is neither indifferent to fears, nor considers anxiety over immigration and refugees as a validation for exclusion. As International migration moves to the top of the European states security agenda I have chosen to answer this question through the specific lens of ‘security’ focusing on national, societal and economic security. My argument will consist of three major claims, following an initial clarification of the terms “migration” and “security,” which are both central to my argument. Firstly I will show that although terrorism is ultimately a risk to state and society security, the association between migration and terrorism is a subjective not an objective reality. Secondly, I will argue that whilst migration can be deemed a threat to societal security and weakening national identity, this is dependent on whether the country aligns themselves to civic rather than an ethnic form of nationalism. When civic nationalism dominates, then the effect of migration on societal security will be deemed less of a potential risk and even a potential benefit. Finally, I will provide empirical evidence to suggest that the public’s negative perception of migration on economic security is based on false premises and that the long term economic benefits of migration should not be overshadowed by the medias negative depiction. This will bring me to the overall conclusion that risks to security are theoretical threats and not a genuine, objective likelihood, also that benefits of migration are increasingly visible in the form of economic prosperity. Migration is not a modern trend, yet in recent

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