As Europe struggles to find its way out of a post-pandemic slump, grappling with a cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills, the EU Commission and Council are using the oldest political trick in the book and deflecting attention to people on the move.

Masked by the mantra of effectiveness and efficiency, the EU continues to normalise and validate the xenophobic narrative of the far right, posing a serious threat to fundamental human rights such as the right to asylum.