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Agreed with the article, but with two important remarks. First, there has been a discussion of a Europe with two speeds. Unfortunately, it was framed in terms of "second rate members", who refuse political integration. If the negativism can be avoided, it would contribute to the discussion.

Second, the immigration issue is connected to the referendum in the sense that it influenced people's vote, even if the argument is at best irrational. What's missing here is a distinction between economic refugees and political refugees. People who routinely applaud those who gave shelter to the persecuted of the second world war and routinely condemn sending a ship full of jews away from the US or a ship full of persecuted Indians away from Canada cannot shy away from sheltering - at much less risk - today's political refugees with no better excuse than that they lower wages without looking morally broke.

Economic refugees are another story altogether. Their problem is basically domestic and often driven by a sociopath dictator, interested only in his personal wealth. Yet, it does have an international angle: trade protectionism. You can keep out their (agricultural) products or you can keep out their people, but you cannot keep out both. EU, take heed.