Despite hosting millions of Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s invasion, policymaking in the European Union on irregular migration and on refugee matters continue to run on separate tracks.

After the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU opened its borders and welcomed everyone fleeing Putin’s onslaught. Open-border advocates praised the European response to the refugee crisis but also have been shaming the EU for not awarding the same welcome indiscriminately to any migrant arriving at the gates of “Fortress Europe.” Accusing the EU of being racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, etc., they have been trying to bully European capitals to use the response to the Ukrainian crisis as a template for every asylum-seeker and economic migrant from around the globe. Are they succeeding? Can we see a shift in the EU’s approach toward irregular migration flows from the Middle East and Africa?