Well, this is both an unexpected and a welcome surprise. Not that it will make any impression on this side of the pond.

The European Union is scolding its member states for not enforcing immigration laws harshly enough. Currently, its member states are very lax about deporting migrants who are ineligible for asylum, sending only 1 out of every 5 illegal migrants back to their home countries.

The reasoning is even better than you would expect: immigration is a good thing, but it should be orderly and lawful.

Who knew? I guess now that the Orange Man Bad guy is off the scene at least some people in the Establishment might be returning to sanity.

Well, probably not. They still want us to eat bugs. But at least this is progress.

The European Union on Tuesday urged its member countries to deport more people who enter Europe without authorization and who are not eligible to stay, saying that only around one in five would-be migrants who should be sent home actually is.

“Last year, we had a return rate of only 21% of those who are not eligible to stay,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. “When we fail to return people, this hampers our system and erodes trust.”

Well duh.

Haven’t we normal, sane, reasonable people been saying precisely this for years, both in Europe and the United States? And, as I recall, Europeans were criticizing Trump for being a bigoted xenophobe for pursuing exactly this type of policy when he was president. Now that he is gone…

Angela Merkel, in particular, feuded with Trump over immigration both here and in Germany. Each was highly critical of the other, with Merkel opening Germany’s borders to all comers, especially refugees from Syria, while of course, Trump was very critical of open borders policies both here and in Europe. Their verbal battles were epic; two titanic egos clashing.

On this matter, Trump was clearly right, and Merkel clearly wrong. Immigration has been a huge problem across Europe, causing both political crises in several countries and crime spikes in normally placid cities.

Apparently, the European Union wants its member states to clamp down, and ironically that suggests that Germany, the most powerful country in the Union, probably wants that too. With Merkel gone the current government may not want to advertise its immigration skepticism, but clearly, it hasn’t pressured Brussels to hold back on pushing for more aggressive migration enforcement.

Good.

Immigration can be good or can be bad for a country. It largely depends upon whether or not the country can successfully integrate the migrants into the larger culture and economy. The nostrum “diversity is our strength” is complete crap. Having access to more diverse music, food, and cultural fripperies is all well and good, but Germany and France will not be enhanced by importing Syrian political culture along with Syrians. Pretending otherwise is ridiculous.

Integrate into our culture? You are welcome. Obey the law? Superb! Come add to our growing society!

But bringing along the various cultural ills that drove people away from failing societies doesn’t improve our societies. Salvadorans may be welcome in the United States, but MS-13? No thank you. Come here, get a job, learn our language and culture, and integrate. Otherwise, stay out.

And  when you come, do so legally.

It is ironic that Europe seems to be turning right as Joe Biden drags us kicking and screaming Leftward. Whether it is immigration, COVID policies, or gender ideology, Europe seems to be returning to a bit of sanity while Biden is lurching Left as fast as he can.

It both bothers me and gives me hope. It bothers me because it’s scary to find the European Union to the right of the US in anything, but gives me hope because the EU moving right proves that a correction from the insanity is possible.