The current politics of migration can be seen as a framing war between two extreme narratives that often seem mutually exclusive. One depicts migration towards Europe as a security problem, the other as a humanitarian crisis. This publication seeks to offer a somber, analytical take beyond these stark divisions. It contains a collection of essays written by five scholars, which covers topics from the comparison of media framings in Austria and Hungary, about the rhetoric of Croatian politicians, up to local solidarity initiatives in the Balkans.