For several years there has been a competition among EU Member States on how to become the least less appealing destination for migrants. A recent study however shows that it is not the countries that attract networks of migration but social networks.

The vast majority of migrants are heading for countries where they already have relatives or friends. At the same time those networks are their only trusted sources of information. Hence, reducing migrant welfare or scaring people off through official campaigns has no effect on irregular migration. Maybe these actions are directed to domestic voters anyway…

Germany is considered a possible option for all nationalities but Moroccans. In 2023, Moroccans along the Balkans route were exclusively young men, headed for southern in Italy or Spain. The majority claimed they had an informal job in industrial farming already waiting for them. Maybe the political debate over irregular migration should turn around and take a look at the absorption capacity of certain shadow industries.

Last but not least: the study proves that illegal pushbacks and massive physical abuse by EU border guards are not the exception but the rule at our external borders. In total, we interviewed 258 individuals from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Morocco and Nigeria in four different countries (Egypt, Greece, Bosnian-Herzegovina, and Serbia). Read the study here, or have a look at the entire project: Destination Austria.