Migrations and multiculturalism – the future of ethnic politics in Europe
Migrations and multiculturalism – the future of ethnic politics in Europe

Summary/Abstract: The global refugee crisis has had a profound impact on European countries, reigniting a long-standing debate about how to successfully integrate religious Muslim minorities into liberal democratic societies. In recent years, much of the European public discourse has focused on the apparent failure of the politics of multiculturalism, which was adopted by some European countries as a functional tool to help the integration of a growing number of minorities into European societies. However, these policies, for the most part, had adversary effects on the migrant communities, alienating them from the majority populations and pushing them into cultural ghettos which function almost completely separately from the mainstream society. The recent flow of mostly Muslim migrants, which overwhelmed some European states, only served to accentuate the existing problems of multiculturalism policies, further alienating existing minorities and deepening the rift between them and the majority populations. It has also influenced the rise of nationalism and the popularity of the right-wing political parties, which can be seen as one of the results of the failed policies of multiculturalism. Since the migration flow to Europe is continuing, despite the official closure of the so-called Balkan route, it will most probably continue to impact the ethnic politics in various European countries, strengthening nationalist political parties and movements and putting further emphasis on the cultural differences between various ethnic communities living side by side in European societies.

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