The aim is to combine in-depth qualitative case-studies of single countries with a cross-national comparative perspective, so as to outline key similarities and differences between various European states. Though we know that immigration policies have, in general, become more liberal over the years, we still know little about how have they changed in the past few years, particularly in light of the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ and a growing incidence of terrorist events on European soil. Thus, the purpose of the project is to trace and describe the most recent transformations in the main destination countries in Europe, asking whether immigration policies have become more restrictive and, if so, on which dimensions. In addition, the project also explores potential explanations as to what shapes states’ approaches to migration and respective differences. For this purpose, we investigate the role of political actors, their agendas, and rhetoric, placing them in their respective political context.