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.

 

Gerald Knaus is the founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative (ESI), a Berlin-based think tank working on democracy, migration, human rights, and European stability. He was closely involved in shaping the EU-Turkey Statement on Migration (2016), a landmark in European migration policy, and his work at ESI also helped uncover the “Caviar Diplomacy” corruption scandal at the Council of Europe in 2017. Alongside his role at ESI, he is a regular lecturer on Southeast Europe at the NATO Defence College in Rome and has held fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. His books include Can Intervention Work? (2011, with Rory Stewart), the Spiegel bestseller Welche Grenzen brauchen wir? (2020), Wir und die Flüchtlinge (2022), and most recently, Welches Europa brauchen wir? (2025, with Francesca Knaus) on Europe’s future and the challenge of defending democracy against authoritarian threats. Born in Austria in 1970, he studied in Oxford, Brussels, and Bologna, and lives in 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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