Migration Crisis Continues to Divide Europe

• 07.28.2017, 19:09
•  Europe,  World

European Parliamentary Research Service Blog

Although the European Union succeeded to regain control over borders to some extent, which resulted in the reduction of refuges, the political discussions on the topic continue.

Along with this, a representative of the European court declared that the appeal from Hungary and Slovakia on the illegality of the refugees’ quotas, should be rejected, Euronews informs. The court thinks that the system fulfills its goal to easy the difficulties faced by Italy and Greece, which for several years have been accepting large number of refugees.

To remind, the EU agreed the program of the refugees’ transportation from Greece and Italy in 2015, when the migration crisis reached its peak. The quotas were defined, according to which the EU countries should accept 160 thousand refugees. However, during the recent 2 years, Poland and Hungary did not accept any refugees, while Czech also stopped the implementation of its obligations after participating in the program for a short period of time.  These countries declare that the EU cannot make them accept refugees, as it is a security issue for them. By the way, according to the offer of the European Commission, the countries can refuse quota system; however in that case they are obliged to pay 250 thousands euro for each refugee, whom they do not accept.

The program based on the quota system ends at the end of the current year. This program could not justify itself. Such an opinion was expressed also by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who stated that the EU had not made progress on the distribution of refugees based on the system of quotas. French President Emanuel Macron, in his turn, declared that the acceptance of refugees is the obligation of all the EU countries, without any exception, УНИАН reports.  

Despite the EU efforts to stop the flow of the refugees, German Social-Democratic Party leader Martin Schulz declared that the migration crisis of 2015 can repeat. The German Foreign Ministry assumes that this year 200-300 thousand refugees can visit their country from Syria and Iraq, RT reports.

Since the beginning of 2017, 70 thousand refuges came to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. By the way according to the UN data for May, the majority of them, 60 thousand people,  visited Italy. As compared to the previous year, the number of the refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea was reduced. This is conditioned by a number of factors, among which is the  agreement signed with Turkey, according to which the refuges that moved from Turkey to Greek Islands, are brought back to Turkey. By the way the other day Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu declared that they can cancel the agreement with the EU on refugees signed in May. The reason for that is the fact that number of the EU states are against Turkey’s membership to the EU.

The problem of refugees causes serious disagreements among the European leaders at the same time making them cooperate on various issues. In March of 2016, the EU initiated a number of steps to overcome the crisis. Among those steps were the closing of the Balkan flow of refugees, strengthening the control on the EU borders, the above mentioned agreement with Turkey.

Due to these steps, the Europeans managed to take control of the situation. However, one cannot say that the problem got its final solution, as the cause of the crisis – the political chaos in the Middle East and the economic crisis in African countries - continue.  Besides, the disagreements continue to grow among the European countries. On the other hand, Turkey threatens to give up the agreements on refugees.  Taking into consideration the above mentioned reasons, one can state, that there is no EU efficient migration policy.