Migration in Europe

The emergence of the ‘migrant crisis’ in 2015 sparked global outcries for humanitarian crises and its shedding light on the immense misjudgements of European governments. However what many failed to consider is the implications on the migrants themselves, and as per this discussion what it meant for their national identity. Can the individuals forced to flee their countries maintain an air of national pride and patriotism for their homelands, on a continent with populism burning fervently at the borders of each state?

It’s time to pull back the curtain of the refugee crisis and reflect on the real implications for the people forced to flee. A multiplicity of factors marry. Considerations when leaving their home state, an assessment of where to settle and where they may be accepted, all with the weight of fake news and ethically ambiguous media influences.

The aforementioned crises have come to a head with the Russian World Cup of 2018, which oftentimes was a manifestation of the conflict of nationality and person. People worldwide offered not only a patriotic cheer for their football team, but for their country. Where does this leave those abandoned by the international community? With a timeline spanning the emergence of the Refugee Crisis of 2015 to the 2018 Russian World Cup, mapping the rise and fall of xenophobia is a fearful endeavour.