TEN years ago the migrant crisis was making headlines across Europe, with countries like Germany and Sweden welcoming asylum seekers with open arms.
But in the decade since, the public’s anger has reached new heights – and now Europe is pulling up the drawbridge with a string of tough measures that put Keir Starmer’s stumbling efforts to shame.
ReutersPolish police have increased checks on their border[/caption]
ReutersThe Mediterranean remains a popular route to reach Europe[/caption]
Across the continent, border controls have been tightened and asylum rules toughened.
“Back in 2015, people were extremely sympathetic to the migrant crisis,” said Guy Dampier, from the Prosperity Institute think tank.
“The famous phrase from 2015 is Merkle’s ‘Wir schaffen das’ – we can do it.
“But what we’re seeing in the last few years is a growing realisation by Europe that they can’t do that.
“And not only can they not do it, they actually don’t want to do it, because the changes that this is bringing are changes that people have never voted for and don’t want.”
Many in the UK are calling on Starmer to look to Europe for inspiration as the Government struggles to get to grips with the small boat crossings in the English Channel.
Home Office statistics show that more than 170,000 people have made the crossing since records began in 2018.
On Monday, it was revealed that the Government is set to tighten the rules around asylum seekers bringing their families to the UK, bringing the country more in line with its neighbours.
After a record number of asylum seekers and illegal migrants arrived in the Continent, attitudes among Europeans have hardened, with support for right-wing and even far-right parties reaching new heights.
In the first three months of 2025, Venezuelans and Afghans made up the two nationalities with the highest number of asylum seekers, according to Eurostat, followed by Bangladesh.
So far, the tougher restrictions appear to be working.
Crossings into Europe are down 18 per cent in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to Frontex, the European Union border agency.
The central Mediterranean route – which sees migrants make the treacherous journey from Tunisia and Libya to Italy – remains the busiest, with almost 36,700 people making the crossing.
However, human rights groups have warned that the crackdown risks turning a blind eye to the abuses migrants face at the hands of criminal gangs.
And the human cost remains high.
Treacherous journeys
More than 2,200 people died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2024 alone, according to the UN, with migrants pushed to take riskier routes as land borders are shut.
The Atlantic voyage from the west African coast to the Spanish Canary Islands is also becoming more popular, with officials on the islands demanding a state of emergency now be declared.
Darren FletcherPortugal has moved swiftly to detain migrants that land on its shores[/caption]
Dan CharityGermany has upped deportation flights[/caption]
AFPMigration has led to increased tensions in Sweden[/caption]
Instability in north Africa – in particular Libya since Western intervention led to the ousting of Colonel Gaddafi in 2011 – has also allowed gangs to thrive.
“Over 90 per cent of those that organise the crossings are criminal groups,” Dr Andi Hoxhaj OBE, from the Royal United Services Institute, told The Sun.
“They will have to get some sort of guarantee or assurance that when they get there, they will not get caught. It will depend gang by gang, or network by network, wherever they have the strongest link.”
He added: “From a logistical point of view, they would prefer Italy or Greece. Italy is better, because it’s closer, whereas with Greece you still have to cross through the western Balkans, which are not part of the EU.”
Since the fall of Gaddafi, it has been pretty much impossible to govern in Libya…in those sorts of conditions, it is very difficult to tackle organised crime
Dr Andi Hoxhaj
It is important to acknowledge, Dr Hoxhaj added, that long term solutions will have to deal with the level of demand.
Additionally, for as long as the security situation in north Africa remains as it is, smuggling gangs will be able to thrive, with investment and economic integration needed to bring stability.
“Since the fall of Gaddafi, it has been pretty much impossible to govern in Libya. In those sorts of conditions, it is very difficult to tackle organised crime, especially if you are not capable of having full control over your government and your borders,” he added.
So are countries in Europe responding to the demands of some of their voters – and have they been successful?
Sweden
AFPSweden has toughened up its stance since the centre-right took power in 2022[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialCash grants are being offered to migrants who return home voluntarily[/caption]
Many view Sweden as a “progressive paradise” – but this doesn’t match up to what’s been happening recently.
For years, the Nordic country had a liberal migration system, and in 2015 took in more asylum seekers as a proportion of its population than any other country in Europe.
Since the centre-right government took power in 2022, however, the country has massively toughened up its border.
Asylum rights are now the bare minimum that is allowed in the EU, citizenship has been made harder to get, and rejected asylum seekers are housed in “return centres” before being deported.
Cash grants of £26,000 have even been offered to migrants who choose to return home voluntarily.
The numbers don’t lie – just 6,250 people were granted asylum in the country in 2024, compared to a figure of 84,200 in the UK.
Germany
GettyGermany now turns away almost all asylum seekers at the border[/caption]
AFPGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Denmark – with its tough policies – a ‘role model’[/caption]
Germany was the poster child for welcoming migrants a decade ago.
But this year, the country has turned its back on mass migration, with the far-right party Alternative for Germany now joint first in the polls with the centre-right CDU.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed a crackdown, with police now turning away almost all asylum seekers at the border.
Migrants granted asylum also no longer have the right to bring their family members to the country, while more and more countries have been categorised as “safe countries of origin”.
Deportations are being stepped up – including flights back to Afghanistan – and a dedicated “migration terminal” is planned for Munich airport.
“We’ve had some pretty strong rhetoric from Friedrich Merz, and he has taken some actions that certainly would have surprised people even a few years ago,” Guy explained.
However, whether or not the tough policies are working is a more difficult question to answer.
“It’s reduced the number of people who claim asylum at the border,” said Guy.
“But what they all do now is head further into Germany before presenting themselves to the authorities.”
Greece
AFPThe island of Crete recently saw a spike in arrivals crossing from Libya[/caption]
Ian WhittakerThe country has also moved to speed up returns[/caption]
Unlike the northern European countries, Greece is on the front line of migratory waves coming from the Middle East and North Africa – and the government has taken one of the toughest stances out there.
“Under no circumstances are we going to become a country of open borders or a country where those who come will be welcomed with flowers,” said Thanos Plevris, the country’s migration minister.
Many of the migrants arrive by boat, either from nearby Turkey or Libya, a haven for people smuggling.
Shocking reports have told of boats being forcibly pushed outside of territorial waters by the coastguard, with claims of migrants being placed in inflatable boats, sometimes without motors, and left stranded.
The practice – which the Greek government denies it engages in – has been widely condemned as illegal.
In January, the European Court of Human Rights found Greece guilty of conducting “systematic” pushbacks of would-be asylum seekers trying to enter the country by sea.
A recent spike saw more than 11,000 migrants arrive in Crete from Libya.
In response, parliament voted to suspend all asylum claims from North Africa for three months.
Navy vessels were also deployed off the Libyan coast to deter people smugglers.
Denmark
ShutterstockDenmark’s left-wing government has been cracking down on illegal immigration long before other countries in the EU[/caption]
GettyAsylum seekers are regularly deported if where they came from is designated as safe[/caption]
The small Scandinavian country has been leading the way when it comes to being tough on immigration – both when it comes to deterring new arrivals and integrating people who are already here.
In 2019, the country’s prime minister even declared an objective to reduce asylum claims to zero, which other leaders want to replicate.
Many are surprised to hear that these tough policies are in fact the work of the country’s centre-left government.
It’s a clear sign that, in Europe, cracking down on immigration is no longer just a right-wing position.
Guy explained: “In Denmark, the centre left has taken a lot of these measures, done precisely because it enabled them to defang the populist right.”
Other measures taken by Denmark include revoking asylum status if the home country is declared safe.
Even areas of Syria, including around the capital Damascus, were re-categorised as the fighting came to an end.
Poland
ReutersPoland has accused Putin-ally Belarus of ‘weaponising’ illegal immigration[/caption]
ReutersMigrants face harsh conditions on Europe’s far-eastern borders[/caption]
This summer Karol Nawrocki won the Polish presidency by taking a leaf out of Donald Trump’s book, campaigning with the slogan: “Poland First, Poles First”.
The country’s border with Belarus, a country allied with Russia, is heavily militarised in order to prevent people from entering the country illegally.
Along this eastern frontier, migration has been “weaponised” by Putin and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
People from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa who are looking to enter the EU are able to arrive in Belarus on tourist visas – but are then bussed straight to the border, sometimes by soldiers.
In response, Poland suspended asylum claims from its eastern border in March.
Raids involving 26,000 police officers were also carried out across the country, with nearly 1,500 migrants detained between February 13 and 14 alone.
The country has also seen anti-immigration rallies organised by the far-right held in dozens of cities across the country.
Italy
AFPThe Italian Prime Minister signed a deal with her Albanian counterpart in November to process migrants in Albania[/caption]
AFPThe government has built new migrant detention centres[/caption]
Facing arrivals on boat from Libya and Tunisia, right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has toughened Italy’s stance on immigration in recent years.
Her government has been fighting to process asylum claims offshore, in Albania.
Though the move has been blocked for now by judges – echoing the trouble Rishi Sunak had in establishing a similar deal with Rwanda – the idea was praised by the European Commission president Usula von der Leyen.
Italy is a top target for migrant smugglers in the Mediterranean, with the Italian island of Lampedusa one of the closest European territories to the north African coast.
It’s also one of the most dangerous routes in the world, with almost 24,500 dying while attempting to make the crossing in just the last ten years, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Portugal
Darren FletcherIllegal sea crossings into Portugal remain rare, but The Sun saw a small boat being taken away by authorities[/caption]
Paulo LourençoOur video footage showed migrants celebrating as their boat landed on an Algarve beach[/caption]
Some smuggling gangs have hoped that the 50-hour journey from Morocco to Portugal could provide a lucrative new route for ferrying migrants from Africa.
However, authorities have acted swiftly to nip illegal crossings to the Algarve beaches in the bud, fearing they could face the similar kind of crisis that affected Italy and Greece.
Deportations are conducted rapidly and new detention centres have been built, and 18,000 illegal migrants are set to be deported.
Earlier this year, the Portuguese parliament voted to introduce tighter rules, including temporary custody for migrants with a 20-day window to leave voluntarily, after which they will be forcibly removed.
Illegal crossings by sea remain rare, however, with more illegal immigrants coming from Brazil and crossing over the border from Spain with the help of forged documents.
Maritime and coastal surveillance has also been intensified.
Only eight boats have landed on the Portuguese coast since 2019.
France
GettyFrance’s government has cracked down on immigration to fend off the rising far-right[/caption]
AFPMinister Bruno Retailleau proclaimed: ‘We will tolerate nothing’[/caption]
Macron’s government is in crisis – and once again faces a threat from the far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen.
They’ve been rising in the polls despite recent efforts by the government to toughen up its stance on migration.
Announcing a crackdown on illegal immigration, Minister Bruno Retailleau boldly stated: “Do not come to France. We will tolerate nothing.”
Over two days in June, around 4,000 police officers, custom officers and soldiers were deployed on trains and around train stations to catch undocumented migrants following an earlier operation in May that resulted in more than 750 arrests.
In January, the government also took steps to prevent illegal immigrants from requesting legal status based on family life, employment, or temporary worker status.
Authorities are also looking into extending French policing powers across the waters in the north of the country, with an aim to prevent small boats from making the crossing to the UK.
However, with the government possibly set to collapse next week, the far-right have increased pressure on Macron to call an election.
And although they are unlikely to gain power, their ever-present threat means that any centrist or centre-right government is likely to continue with a crackdown on illegal immigration and increase cooperation with countries like Germany on the issue.