Between Freedom and Control - A Study of Europeans' Support for Migration Regimes

Abstract

After three decades of European integration, during which border controls and restricted access to labour markets seemed like a relict of the past, soon to be dismantled in all EU member states, the refugee crisis and Brexit have brought the issue of European migration regimes to the centre of public debate. This thesis analyses public attitudes towards the Schengen regime and the Freedom of Movement for workers inside the European Union with respect to three distinct phenomena: i) the relevance of elite rhetoric, ii) demographic change due to immigration and iii) collective identities.