Recent celebration of the talent of artists, filmmakers and writers from the Global South by western institutions stands in stark contrast to the rise of xenophobia and anti-immigration policies in Europe and North America. Haunting images of migrants from the Global South drowning in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern edges of the Atlantic Ocean, speak to the horrors of the ‘new middle passage’. We witness, today, the alienation of migrant workers and artists, and forced repatriations, alongside policies of multicultural inclusivity. This panel unpacks the paradoxes of anti-immigration against the celebration of greater global cultural production and exchange.