Paul Scheffer is a Dutch academic and publicist. He was professor at the Universiteit van Amsterdam between 2003 and 2011, currently he is professor of European studies at Tilburg University. Paul Scheffer is also a prominent member of the Dutch Labour Party.

In 2000, he wrote an essay Het Multiculturele Drama ("The Multicultural Drama") which was very influential in shaping the debate on multiculturalism and immigration in the Netherlands.

His 2007 book, Het Land Van Aankomst, was published in English in 2011 as "Immigrant Nations", and is a comparative study of the impact of immigration in Europe and America.