Asylum-seekers... a very western world problem

Let’s look at how Europe is managing the social, political, and economic repercussions of the current asylum-seeker crisis facing the Western world.
Much of Europe has lost patience with the flood of asylum-seekers, with Poland’s government exercising the full force of its immigration laws in sending those who entered via their borders back immediately. Their borders have been upgraded with steel barriers since the killing of a border guard, stabbed by a migrant, in 2024. This stricter policy has resulted in only 236 attempted crossings during the last 6 months, compared with almost 16,000 during the corresponding period last year, according to Polish Interior Ministry statistics.
In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently announced stricter measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration, concentrating on radically swift deportation procedures and a better-resourced border force to counter the thousands of boat arrivals from North Africa to Greece’s islands and mainland, noting that the ‘phenomenon’ has grown far beyond charity and goodwill. Mitsotakis has delivered an ultimatum to previously unhelpful Libyan and Turkish officials, seeking their assistance in stopping people smugglers, and, without a positive response, will implement ‘zero’ illegal immigration protocols.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also recently announced they were moving towards controlled immigration, adding that they will retain their ‘compassionate responsibility towards Ukrainian arrivals and family reunifications.’ He said they would ensure current policies on undocumented immigration, however, remain in full force, and that criminal deportations remain non-negotiable.
Sweden’s coalition government, under Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, has implemented a significant package of legislative reforms this year, aimed at drastically reducing asylum applications and residency pathways, moving away from a human-rights-dominated policy to one with greater emphasis on individual immigrant responsibility, saying the rights-based model was ineffective and impractical.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni came to power four years ago on a nationalist, some would say Neo-Fascist platform, based on increased migration control, and currently faces the prospect of a 2027 election based on ‘immigrational homogenisation,’ an extremist challenge that is gaining traction. Having previously focused on deportations of Illegals ‘in situ,’ pressure is now coming from the electorate for her to go further. This could become the next Italian political football, in an election that could feature some ‘dirty’ politics!
France now has a significant African immigrant population, and in January this year, following a public outcry from the electorate, a new law to control immigration and improve social integration was proposed by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who said it was both “revolutionary and balanced,” with Prime Minister Emanuel Macron’s agreement on tougher border controls, harsher expulsion measures, and more transparent integration processes. However, the opposition far-right strongly criticised any ‘easing of integration,’ and the far-left opposed the ‘repressive tone’ of the bill. Of the 86 articles drafted, a watered-down version of 51 articles was passed, in a very Gallic expression of ‘democratie.’ France is home, currently, to 160,000 asylum-seekers, not counting those en route to the UK, so it’s no wonder the 70 million citizens are getting ‘furieux,’ and ‘en colere.’
However, the French are not genuinely concerned, are they? Don’t they simply take their illegals to the English Channel beaches and put them on 50-foot-long rubber dinghies, and escort them to England’s shores, then wash their hands of them? This, despite being paid £675 million by the UK Government, to ‘tackle the problem.’
And what does the UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham say? That “immigration must fall,” and “we will stop people smugglers.” Oh, that’s going so well. On Sunday, September 6, the government’s own website identified 8 migrant vessels landing 625 undocumented asylum-seekers in a 24-hour period.
So, that’s 625 more people who can get £49-18 per week; free accommodation in a house, flat, or hotel; NHS healthcare, dentistry, prescriptions, and eye care; travel costs; schooling and free meals (age 5-17). Do your sums on that and consider also that there were 93,525 asylum-seekers living in the UK at the end of March 2026, 20,885 of those in hotels. The rumoured £5 billion cost for the year is horrendous.
I don’t have the compassionate answers that this issue demands, but the European taxpayer ‘worm’ is turning!

Ray Petersen The writer is a media consultant