Establishing a Credible Narrative on Migration and Migration Policy

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The need for more effective communication on migration and conveying balanced messages is a priority for EU Member States and partner countries alike. It has to be acknowledged that the fast-paced environment governing the work of migration policymakers, particularly since 2015, impedes long-term, broader reflections on communication strategies. Instead, ad hoc and reactive communication measures are applied, which often bring mixed results.

The proliferation of digital and social media has reduced the space and time available for the preparation of nuanced reporting, while the rapid growth in the number of information sources available makes it harder for the public to know which sources and information to trust. Whilst evidence shows that EU citizens rate migration and integration among the most important topics, which reflects the tendency toward extensive coverage of these topics by media outlets. Interestingly, citizens do not consider immigration the most pressing issue at national level; however, more than a third of EU citizens polled consider immigration the main concern at EU level, and it remains the policy area where EU action is considered most inadequate (Eurobarometer 2019; Eurobarometer 2018).

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