Between common responsibility and national interest: When do citizens support a common European migration policy?

The European Union has progressively communitarized its migration policy and thereby moved admission and control measures from the national border to the EU’s external border. The public support for integrating the core state power of immigration policy presents an interesting puzzle. On the one hand, immigration is part of a conflict around the opening and closing of nation states, mobilizing nativist views and Euroscepticism. On the other hand, the EU is seen as a shield against external threats such as uncontrolled immigration. Migration has therefore the potential to both undermine and strengthen public support for European integration, particularly in crisis situations and a context of politicization. To shed light on this matter, this article studies the effect of migration flows on citizens’ support for a common European migration policy. Does the absolute and relative migration exposure of a member state shape citizens’ support for moving the political competences in migration policy from the national to the European level? The results provide important insights into the prospects for European migration governance based on a common responsibility and mutual solidarity.