ABSTRACT
Despite widespread academic recognition of the politicization of immigration in Europe, studies of immigration's impact on political parties — and vice-versa -have been thin on the ground. Party specialists have been predominantly drawn towards the far-right's mobilization around the issue while migration theorists have tended to downplay or overlook the central role of political parties in immigration control and immigrant integration policy. Yet ‘policies are made by actors, not by institutions or economic trends’ (Giugni and Passy 2006: 13) and greater attention to the preferences and behaviour of parties is needed. This is also true at the European level where, as more components of control and integration policy shift to the European Union (EU) with a greater role for the European Parliament (EP), the European Parliament party groups (EPGs) and the European party federations (EPFs) will increasingly acquire more importance in co-ordinating policy choices.
