Percy Barnevik

Immigration in Europe: Balancing Politics, Security and Compassion

David Goodhart, Percy Barnevik, Sir Paul Collier, Begüm Doğan Faralyali, Dominik Hangartner

Former ABB CEO Percy Barnevik, Turkish media magnate Begum Doğan, and Oxford professor Sir Paul Collier convened to debate solutions for the European immigration crisis, emphasizing a shift from humanitarian aid to economic autonomy and source-region development. Panelists criticized the failure of current asylum systems for causing skill atrophy and highlighted the "Jordan Model" as a viable alternative that links job creation in refugee-hosting nations with EU market access. The discussion further analyzed the political risks of uncontrolled migration, noting that integration failures in countries like Sweden and the erosion of Turkey's border controls necessitate a strategy prioritizing private sector investment over traditional government-to-government aid.