Migrant crisis: How Europe went from Merkel's 'We can do it' ten years ago to pulling up the drawbridge

The article discusses the shift in Europe's approach to the migrant crisis over the past decade. In 2015, German Chancellor Angela Merkel famously declared "We can do it" in response to the influx of refugees, adopting an open-door policy. However, this stance has since been abandoned, with several European governments now proposing restrictive measures on migrants. The article highlights the growing public concern over immigration, which has led to the rise of populist, anti-immigrant political parties across the continent. This, in turn, has prompted governments to take a more hardline approach, with some countries proposing to limit the number of asylum applications or deport migrants more quickly. The article suggests that the European Union's ability to manage the crisis has been hampered by a lack of coordination and a reluctance to share the burden of hosting migrants. As a result, the "welcome culture" of 2015 has given way to a more restrictive and isolationist approach, with the drawbridge being pulled up on migrants seeking refuge in Europe.