A theory making the rounds argues Europe's mass immigration push isn't a well-meaning policy that failed by accident, but a system that's working exactly as intended for a handful of winners.

• Big business gains because a larger labor pool pushes wages down for everyone.
• Politicians gain because new residents become new voters, keeping incumbents in power while they personally avoid the overcrowded schools and job competition their policies create.
• Working-class people absorb the costs: lower wages, crowded neighborhoods, and strained public services.
• Officials and institutions gain too, since social unrest becomes a justification for more surveillance and tighter limits on speech.

Outlook: Expect the debate over immigration's costs and beneficiaries to keep intensifying across Europe, with little sign current policies will reverse soon.