MIGRATION IN THE POLITICAL PROCESSES OF CONTEMPORARY EUROPE

(CONFLICT POTENTIAL AND NEW STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION)

Abstract

The author deals with the problem of the migration impact on the EU countries. New opportunities and new political risks, including the overall growth of conflict potential are the main important issues. Particular attention is paid to the distinctive features of modern migration flows, including increased dynamism and complexity, as well as the multiplication of causes that cause massive movements of people. The main feature of the current migration is a globalization effect. Its nature was changed by electronic means of communication, creating a “super-diverse world” leading to numerous and most diverse transformations. The case of Muslim immigrants to Europe and the phenomenon of “second-generation revolt” were also observed, for example, the practice of the “two-step” process of assimilation in the new en- vironment of host societies. The imperative of existence in a super-diverse world is the ability to live with representatives of various religions and traditions. These processes are connected with the problem of European identity, but they also affect the economic future of Europe: immigration is useful for countries of destination, including a direct impact on the labor market. The paper draws attention to the fact that mass immigration to Europe coincided in time with the acute social and economic problems of the continent, creating a cumulative effect of conflict factors. The attention of people is increasingly shifting to the cramped circumstances of life, prompting a sharply negative reaction to the establishment responsible for the situation and reacting poorly to signals coming from economically disadvantaged groups. This creates fertile soil for the growth of right populism as a conservative response to emerging contradictions between arriving representatives of foreign cultural groups and host European societies. The author keeps attention to the need of revising the traditional strategies for integrating immigrants into the host society and develop new mechanisms for their adaptation.

Keywords:

migration, crisis, Europe, globalization, conflict factor, populism, nationalism, terrorism, multiculturalism, interculture