Ethno-cultural diversity and contemporary national societies

A glance at demographic data for European countries reveals that every year international migration contributes to population growth more than natural change (European Commission 2010). On 1 January 2013, foreign-born individuals accounted for 6.7% of the total population legally residing in the EU27 countries (Eurostat 2014). According to a demographic projection (Lanzieri 2010), by 2060, persons of all nationalities with at least one foreign-born parent are expected to account for about 33% of the EU-27 population. As national societies, within Europe and elsewhere, are deemed to become increasingly diverse in ethno-cultural, religious, and racial terms, the question which comes to the fore is how people can live together in/with/through diversity.