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Do EU citizens’ preferences shape EU immigration policy? Using mixed‐methods and a unique data source on policy‐making in the EU Council of Ministers, we qualitatively and quantitatively assess the link between public sentiment and immigration policy‐making. Accounting for the economic, political and institutional context, we find that domestic public opinion does not play a central role in the policy positions adopted by Member States nor in the salience Member States attach to immigration issues during the negotiation process. We discuss the implications of these findings for our understanding of how EU immigration policy reacts to public opinion.