This report examines the inextricable link between migration policy and structural racism in the EU, rooted in Europe’s colonial history. It highlights a critical disconnect: while racism shapes migration, EU migration policy ignores racism, and EU anti-racism policy overlooks the structural racism embedded in migration control.

Analysing from a racial justice perspective, the report details how EU migration legislation actively reinforces exclusion and violence against migrants at Europe’s borders, a reality largely unaddressed by equality frameworks. It finds a policy shift towards increased criminalisation, exclusion, and prioritising deportations (‘returns’). This is supported by greater resources for border reinforcement and stricter migration laws, intensifying the system’s discriminatory impact.