2015, Angela Merkel stands before the European Parliament and declares “Wir schaffen das”—“We can do it.” Over a million refugees fleeing war-torn Syria crossed into Germany. It was a moment of moral clarity for the continent that opened its borders for the persecuted.
Almost a decade later, the doors flung wide open by Merkel are creaking shut, with Germany actively patrolling its land border, Poland suspending asylum rights, and the EU 2024 Migration Pact promising fortified frontiers. Amidst these hardening stances, a paradox exists: while asylum seekers face rejection, skilled workers are embraced.
The EU’s Migration Pact, adopted in May 2024, aims to streamline asylum proceedings and share burdens—30,000 annual relocations or a €20,000 fee per refused applicant, European Union Agency for Asylum – Pact on Migration and Asylum, a flexibility hailed as progress by some, derided as a cop-out by others.
However, the Pact’s real teeth lie in the border controls, which surmount accelerated deportations, detention-like screening centers, and partnerships with countries such as Egypt and Tunisia to halt and stem irregular arrivals. Border controls are yielding results already as irregular crossings have dropped by 30 percent in 2024, European Commission – Migration and Asylum Pact, a figure hailed by leaders like Ursula von der Leyen. Yet, the human cost remains stark, with 3,041 Mediterranean drownings in 2023, International Organization for Migration – Mediterranean Migrant Deaths.
The Dichotomy
For asylum seekers, the odds are dwindling, approval rates have plummeted, with Belgium and Germany only approving 43 percent and 44 percent of asylum applications, reflecting backlog pressures and tightened criteria, Asylum Information Database – Belgium Statistics. Whereas, more stiff measures such as Poland’s suspension of asylum rights, citing Belarusian “hybrid attacks,” and Albania-Italy deal of processing migrants offshore signal a broader trend, a Fortress Europe less willing to shelter the persecuted.
While this happens, the doors are wide open for a different kind of migrant. As in the Netherlands, ASML, a tech giant that powers the global chip industry, already has 40 percent of foreign workers, with its CEO, Christophe Fouquet, warning that curbing migration would choke innovation.
Belgium, on the same line, also courts skilled workers with Flanders streamlining visas for engineers to bolster its biotech hub and Wallonia targeting francophone African professionals to fill healthcare gaps, with 1.2 million vacancies projected by 2030. With Germany’s Skilled Immigration Act expanded in 2023 and Portugal and Spain moving with digital nomad options, the message is loud and clear: if you can code, heal, or build, Europe beckons.
Why this shift?
The selective openness is reflective of challenges that the continent is wrestling with, as by 2030 EU’s working age population is expected to shrink by 36 million, and the proportion of retirees will climb to 123 million, Eurostat – Population Projections. Yet closing borders for persecuted and not giving the due diligence comes at the cost of a moral fault line that exist, as “People move because in their countries there is no future, no peace, no stability,” says Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, railing against the “Fortress Europe” mindset.
Another plausible reason for the shift could be the political tide, as in Belgium Vlaams Belang’s anti-migrant rhetoric gained traction in 2024’s elections, pressuring centrists to toughen asylum rules. And in Germany, Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats broke a postwar taboo in January 2025 by aligning with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland to push stricter immigration laws. While PRIME in a recent survey has estimated that almost 52 percent of Europeans rejected the Migration Pact, with 64 percent demanding strong borders, numbers that embolden leaders to favor control over compassion.
For now, Europe teeters at a crossroads, its borders neither fully open nor fully shut, but caught in uneasy limbo. The skilled worker prospers; the asylum seeker falters. And the question endures: can a continent forged on free movement balance its economic appetite with its humanitarian heart? Or will the doors, once flung wide, close for good?
Dear reader,
Opinions expressed in the op-ed section are solely those of the individual author and do not represent the official stance of our newspaper. We believe in providing a platform for a wide range of voices and perspectives, even those that may challenge or differ from our own. We remain committed to providing our readers with high-quality, fair, and balanced journalism. Thank you for your continued support.
