National identity as immigration policy filter

Immigration policy debates are increasingly being decided not by narrow economic metrics but by an explicit civic‑identity test: politicians and commentators frame newcomers in terms of whether they 'fit' a national story, and that framing reshapes who is deemed deserving, what integration means, and which policies gain political traction. — If civic identity becomes the primary lens for immigration policy, technical debates about visas, labor markets, and enforcement will be subordinated to contested narratives about cultural continuity and belonging.