Abstract As the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum moves from legislation to implementation in 2026 and the US is polarized by harsh deportation policy, debates about “control” often conflate two distinct policy levers. I propose a simple framework based on two metaphors that can help guide thinking about policy effects. The practical openness of rules-based entry routes (“valves”) can be distinguished from the system’s sorting logic (“filters”). I argue that policy effectiveness, outcomes, and ultimately the public support for policies depend on how both interact.
Tobias Heidland (Tue,) studied this question.