European countries sought to harden migration rules in a bid to quell support for nationalist parties across the continent. Anti-immigration parties have been on the rise in both domestic politics and the European Parliament. Governments are trying to address voters’ concerns: Swiss lawmakers have advanced legislation taxing companies that hire foreign workers, while five EU member states want the bloc to launch a pilot project sending rejected asylum seekers to designated countries outside Europe.
Those efforts may not be enough, however. Victories by Germany’s AfD in state elections have thrown the viability of the country’s government into doubt, while France’s National Rally is the odds-on favorite to win next year’s presidential election.