Border Regimes and Human Rights: Migration Policy on Both Sides of the Atlantic

Panel Discussion with Gerald Knaus, European Stability Initiative, Dr. Beatriz Zepeda, European Business School & <br>Peter Ruhenstroth-Bauer, former National Director UN Refugee Aid Germany (UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe) | As part of the event series "American Rodeo"

Migration is now a decisive factor in elections and shapes the self-image of entire societies – in the U.S. as well as in Europe. While camps and wall construction dominate the scene on the southern border of the United States, Europe is struggling to find a common response to flight, asylum, and solidarity. In this panel discussion with one of the leading experts, we will discuss what the continent can learn from its migration crises – and why it is essential to look across the Atlantic. We will analyze how migration has become a political touchstone for liberal democracies: between isolationism and humanity, fear and responsibility. Gerald Knaus, who has advised Angela Merkel, among others, shows that Europe’s future does not lie in national solo efforts, but in realistic, constitutional solutions that combine order and human dignity. A comparison with the U.S. in particular highlights how differently – and how similarly – democracies respond to global migration movements. Knaus, founder of the European Stability Initiative and one of the most influential migration researchers, brings decades of experience in political consulting and international crisis management to the table. He discusses what kind of Europe we want—and what it should learn from the American approach to migration in order to avoid breaking apart over this very issue.