A smart and fair immigration system can help diffuse toxic narratives and bolster national security
Monocle’s security correspondent Gorana Grgić explores how orderly migration can strengthen political ties and build goodwilll.
In the West, both regular and irregular migration tends to be treated as a political threat. But if it’s managed wisely, the transnational movement of people need not be a risk and can, in fact, be a security asset.
The EU’s “Choose Europe for Science” initiative is targeted at foreign researchers, offering them grants, fellowships and relocation support to settle in the bloc. It’s aimed at the kind of human capital that underpins economic security, public health and defence-related research. When governments make talent flows transparent, meritocratic and beneficial, the political texture of migration shifts from threat to advantage.
Singapore also shows how clear pathways for skilled workers can bolster economic security while avoiding cultural anxieties. Its investment in digital infrastructure and industry partnerships invites talent and capital to set up permanent roots there. Meanwhile, Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa creates legal, predictable routes for people from Pacific Island states facing climate risks.
Such programmes are small but they replace irregular movements with orderly migration that strengthens political ties and builds goodwill. These models all share clarity, conditionality and purpose. When migration systems are well designed and offer protection, legal mobility and visible returns for the host society, they undercut the chaotic narratives that far-right parties exploit. They also make migration an instrument of national security by adding skills to critical sectors and stabilising cities and regions.
