Migration is said to be the number one political issue in Europe. It is a divisive issue between EU member states and for the citizens at large. The 2018 United Nations Pact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration has unexpectedly triggered a new round of protests and discontents within Europe, albeit the need for a global effort to improving cooperation on international migration is larger than ever. Anti-EU populism across the continent looks set to take advantage of the upcoming European Parliament elections to expand its power in the policy-making process not only on migration but also the future direction of European integration. Arguably, the migrant crisis in Europe has threatened the post-war liberal order with a geopolitics of emotions.

Kenneth CHAN Ka Lok 陳家洛 is an Associate Professor at the Department of Government and International Studies and Director of the Comparative Governance and Policy Research Centre at Hong Kong Baptist University, President of the Hong Kong Association for European Studies and Board Member of the Asia-Pacific European Union Studies Association. He has taught Comparative Politics, UK Politics, European Integration, Democratization, Research Methods, and Hong Kong Politics. His research areas include European Politics, Democratization, EU’s external relations as well as Government and Politics of Hong Kong. A Hong Kong citizen, he read Politics at Oxford University and taught at the University of Warsaw and the University of Gdańsk, Poland.