An issue that magnifies immigration issues in the EU is that populist rhetoric tends to focus on the total immigration headline figure (ignoring emigration), not noting that many migrants are short-term, such as students, and that EU rules compel member states to allow immigration of other EU nationals to take up employment.

This leaves anti-immigration politicians with powers not of the scale of the problems they conjure. I think that accurate reporting and holding to account of politicians by the media would make a big difference.