Migration has dominated political debates in Europe for over a decade—often driven more by fear than by facts. While arrivals have declined, the political sense of crisis persists. At the same time, European economies are actively seeking workers and talent across sectors.

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Now, escalating conflict in the Middle East, including the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, is triggering displacement and human suffering. In Lebanon alone, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced as of March 2026. Predictably, warnings of new movements toward Europe are already shaping the political narrative.

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Are we once again heading into a reactive cycle of alarm and short-term measures? Or is this the moment to confront uncomfortable truths: that displacement will remain a defining feature of our time, and that Europe’s migration policies remain fragmented, inconsistent, and often at odds with its own economic and humanitarian interests? What would it take to move beyond crisis politics—towards a migration system that is realistic, humane, and fit for the future? How can responsibility be shared more fairly across regions? And what concrete pathways could better align protection, stability, and opportunity?

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Join us for a candid conversation on the politics, realities, and futures of migration in a rapidly changing world.

 

John Dalhuisen is a Senior Fellow at the European Stability Initiative, a Berlin based think tank, where he focuses on European migration policy, human rights, the rule of law and international conflict management. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the Hertie School.

 

 He was Director of Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Programme, then Regional Office, from 2012 to 2017.  He joined Amnesty International in 2007 as a researcher on discrimination in Europe, becoming Deputy Director in 2010 covering the former Soviet Union.  Between 2001 and 2006, he was Special Adviser to the first Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2007 and studied Philosophy at Edinburgh University and the Humboldt University, Berlin. 

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Raphaela Schweiger is a Director at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, one of Europe’s largest philanthropies. She leads the foundation’s work on Migration, as well as its portfolio on International Cooperation. In these roles, she drives initiatives on humane migration governance, climate mobility, and the future of protection systems. Her work connects issues of global governance, technology, and social cohesion, with a strong focus on the local level and on building bridges between communities and policy arenas. From 2021 to 2025, she chaired the European Philanthropic Initiative on Migration (EPIM), Europe’s largest philanthropic collaborative on migration. A Yale World Fellow, Chair of the Doris Wuppermann Foundation, and member of the LAGO Collective, Raphaela advises governments, international organizations, and civil society on migration, climate, and governance. Her book, Beyond States: The Global Compact for Migration and the Role of Non-State Actors and Cities (Springer VS, 2023), explores the evolving landscape of global migration governance. She holds a doctorate in political science and studied political science, law, international relations, and peace and conflict studies in Munich, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, and Madrid.

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