Ten years of fortress Europe has served only cruelty, profiteers and racists. The next decade is up to us | Maurice Stierl

"For a decade, Europe has remained suspended in a perpetual state of migration crisis. While the Greek word krisis refers to an exceptional moment that disrupts the normal order of things, since 2015 it has become an enduring condition in contemporary Europe. That year, 1 million people sought refuge in Europe, fleeing wars and persecution. In the ensuing decade, the issue of migration has been so thoroughly weaponised that one can hardly remember a time when it was not considered a crisis."

"The idea of a permanent state of emergency does not reflect a reality whereby Europe genuinely cannot cope with new arrivals. Rather, it reflects the fact that there are simply too many who profit from manufacturing a sense of crisis. Crisis narratives sustain a political economy of fear, and have driven far-reaching transformations of Europe's border architecture and migration policy."

"The European border-industrial complex is booming, with profiteers including the EU border agency Frontex, whose budget has exploded from 90m in 2014 to more than 1bn this year despite frequent allegations it is involved in human rights violations. (Frontex has denied these allegations.) Across Europe, private defence and security companies have benefited from lucrative deals that have further militarised Europe's borders."

Since 2015, Europe has experienced a prolonged state of migration crisis after roughly 1 million people sought refuge fleeing wars and persecution. Migration has been heavily weaponised, producing a political economy of fear that benefits actors who manufacture crisis narratives. Those dynamics have driven major transformations of border architecture and migration policy, expanding the border-industrial complex. Frontex's budget ballooned from 90m in 2014 to over 1bn, amid allegations of human rights violations. Private defence and security firms have gained lucrative contracts, while conservative and far-right forces exploit anti-migrant sentiment and centrist parties often adopt harsher measures to compete politically.

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