Rethinking European Identity in the Age of Immigration

The Migration Policy Institute has been active in the European immigration debate for nearly a decade. In recognition of MPI's ever closer engagement with immigration policymakers and stakeholders in Europe, MPI Europe was established in Brussels as a nonprofit research institute dedicated to the promotion of a better understanding of migration. This event marks MPI Europe's official launch in Brussels. To inaugurate the office, MPI Europe hosted a panel discussion to explore what is driving societal discontent in Europe, the role immigration plays in this, and why there is a growing perception that immigrant integration efforts are failing. Panelists discussed some of the key questions posed at the most recent plenary meeting of the Transatlantic Council on Migration, a flagship initiative of the Migration Policy Institute, and reflected on some of the evidence produced for this meeting. What can policymakers do to build inclusive societies given the on-the-ground realities on each side of the Atlantic? Where is the policy and political middle ground—and the necessary new vision—that can drive the next generation of policies to rebuild inclusive societies and bring immigrants and native citizens together in pursuit of a shared future?