Lea Ypi criticizes migration policy: A call for reform!
Lea Ypi criticizes the West's migration policy in Vienna and calls for reforms to citizenship law.

Lea Ypi criticizes migration policy: A call for reform!
At a high-profile event in Vienna on May 15, 2025, Lea Ypi, Professor of Political Theory at the London School of Economics, gave a powerful speech that highlighted the pressing questions of migration policy in the West. Her opening words “Hi Vienna, hello Europe!” set the tone for a debate that, due to the explosive nature of the topic, took place without any significant disruptive actions Small newspaper reported.
In her speech, Ypi highlighted the shift in perception of migrants, who were demoted from “good” migrants to “bad” refugees following the political upheaval in Europe. She criticized migration policy, which increasingly relies on isolation, and discussed the discrimination between useful and useless migrants. Ypi made it clear that this inequality raises not only social but also moral questions.
Criticism of the citizenship reform
A central concern of Ypi was the demand for a reform of citizenship law, which is being made increasingly difficult for poorer classes while the super-rich are increasingly privileged. She pointed out that migrants make valuable contributions to their host countries and that in reality migration is not a problem but a symptom of a much larger crisis.
Ypi's speech was well received and received long, warm applause. Her warning about turning away from the spirit of enlightenment and the danger of obedience through ignorance appealed to many listeners.
The context of migration and integration
The discussion about migration and integration is also of central importance in academic discourse. According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education The perception of migration and its consequences plays a crucial role in integration research. The different models and theories, such as the concepts of assimilation or ethnic pluralism, have a significant influence on migration policy.
The theory of assimilation, originally conceived as a linear process, is increasingly being questioned as migrants are often integrated into lower social classes. These challenges show that political and scientific debates are necessary to promote fairer and more inclusive integration policies.
Overall, Lea Ypi's speech and the accompanying discussion on migration policy shed light on the current state of the social and political debate about integration and inclusion. Migration is therefore not just a current problem, but also a long-term process that affects the entire society and in which Europe's values must be preserved.