The dark side of European immigration policy

PurposeThis article aims to highlight the dark side of the restrictive immigration policies, undertaken both at European and national level, paying special attention to the negative effects that these policies can cause. Design/methodology/approachIn particular, the article focuses on two of the main aims stated by these migration policies: the organization of legal immigration and the control of the illegal immigration. FindingsThe paper demonstrates how the repressive instruments, today put into practice, not only have not been a solution, but they have produced destructive effects, such as: the increasing of illegal immigration and the consequential increasing of the exploitation of immigrants – making the borders between smuggling and trafficking more and more transitory – the strengthening of the more and more professionalized criminal organization and finally the enlargement of the black market's borders, of which the European single market feeds itself. Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into the dark side of European immigration policy.