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Guest commentary by Judith Kohlenberger and Mehmet Ali Icbay

15/02/2026

"Migration is more than just a problem that needs to be controlled."

Judith Kohlenberger and Mehmet Ali Icbay write in a guest commentary in Der Standard that the legitimisation of authoritarian means of ‘migration control’, which ultimately also target citizens and migrants with regular residence status, begins with characterising migration as a pure problem that needs to be solved. Instead, they advocate a constructive and pragmatic approach that focuses on resources and empowerment, thereby not only contributing to a stronger economy in the face of demographic change, but also strengthening liberal democracy.

Full text: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000305467/migration-ist-mehr-als-ein-problem-das-kontrolliert-werden-muss 

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Guest commentary by Judith Kohlenberger and Mehmet Ali Icbay

15/02/2026

"Migration is more than just a problem that needs to be controlled."

Judith Kohlenberger and Mehmet Ali Icbay write in a guest commentary in Der Standard that the legitimisation of authoritarian means of ‘migration control’, which ultimately also target citizens and migrants with regular residence status, begins with characterising migration as a pure problem that needs to be solved. Instead, they advocate a constructive and pragmatic approach that focuses on resources and empowerment, thereby not only contributing to a stronger economy in the face of demographic change, but also strengthening liberal democracy.

Full text: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000305467/migration-ist-mehr-als-ein-problem-das-kontrolliert-werden-muss 

Back to overview