The politics of migration and integration

Across Europe, immigration and integration have become pressing political issues. The far right is surging in national polls, and debates over borders and national identity are reshaping party systems and public life.

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Sunder Katwala, director of the think-tank British Future and author of How to Be a Patriot, and Lawen Redar, spokesperson for integration for the Swedish Social Democratic party and a member of Sweden’s parliament. Together, they discuss how Sweden shifted from the EU’s most liberal migration country to tighter border controls, how parallel societies are emerging, and how both Sweden and Britain are struggling to define who “we” are in increasingly diverse societies.

How can European societies combine stricter border policies with fair and effective integration? Can social democrats rebuild a shared narrative of national belonging without slipping into ethno-nationalism? And how can Europe avoid importing the most negative elements of America’s culture war?

Bookshelf:

How to Be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war by Sunder Katwala

Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better by Alan Manning

Head, Hand, Heart: Why Intelligence Is Over-Rewarded, Manual Workers Matter, and Caregivers Deserve More Respect by David Goodhart

This episode was recorded on November 14th 2025

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.