EU migration and mobility: the impact of Covid-19

Migration and mobility are intrinsically linked to democracy in the European Union (EU) as they apply, in varying ways, to EU citizens and denizens and demarcate a problematic boundary between a presumed European demos and third-country nationals. EU migration and mobility policies concern different domains (non-EU nationals and EU citizens, respectively) and have been characterised by numerous pressures, priorities, and outcomes in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The common feature of the developments across the two domains has been the exacerbation of existing vulnerabilities both in EU policies and among the migrant populations concerned. A visible characteristic of the EU response across the domains of migration and mobility has been an intersection between the increased relevance of national politics and a concerted effort to produce an integrated supranational response. The Covid-19 pandemic may provide useful impetus and context for integration in the domains of migration and mobility, as illustrated currently by the 'Team Europe‘ agenda, and previously by the 2015 migration policy crisis, and thus may have direct implications on democratic processes in the EU.