The Impact of the 2022 European Union Migration Crisis on the Migratory Discourses Adopted by the European Parliament

Abstract

When Russian forces attacked Ukraine on 24 February 2022 masses of people moved towards the borders of the European Union (EU). The unexpected increase in arrivals within a relatively short time span became a significant challenge for the EU to manage turning into a crisis. This paper assesses whether the political alignment of different party groups in the European Parliament (EP) (e.g. left-wing right-wing populist) helps explain the discursive frames they adopt on migration within the context of the 2022 EU migration crisis. Using qualitative content analysis the study identifies the discursive frames employed by members of the parliament in plenary debates. It finds that factors like the EU's legislative procedure institutional structure and the EP's political position contribute to overlapping discourses which also vary based on the country of origin of migrants and the ideological positions of party groups.