The European migration crisis occurred in 2015 and 2016, when the number of refugees entering the European Union more than doubled compared to previous years.
Reasons
Developments in Africa and the Middle East
A simplified explanation for the increased number of refugees is that conflict in African and Middle Eastern countries increased, which led to a breakdown of existing structures such as refugee camps, especially in the countries neighbouring Syria (e.g. Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey).
Some of the conflicts leading to this situation were:
- Civil war in Syria
- Successes of the Taliban in Afghanistan
- ISIS in Iraq and Syria
- Armed conflicts and humanitarian crises in Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, and other countries
Furthermore, previous arrangements made by the European Union to hold back refugees broke down (for example, in Libya following the Arab Spring in 2011).
In combination, the situation in many places became so bad that refugees saw no other way than to move towards Europe. Their movement was enabled by the opening of previously closed migration routes. At the same time, the overall situation was exacerbated by the failure of Western countries to effectively mitigate conflict in the region and provide adequate support for humanitarian aid.
Previous developments within Europe
The migration crisis should also be considered in context with the European financial and debt crisis and the following change in the economic and political climate.
„The crisis began not in 2015 but back in 2008 with a global financial crisis which triggered the European financial and bet crisis associated with far-reaching austerity policies. This had already affected the social order and undermined social coherence and trust in the European project which successively reinvigorated right-wing and populist movements and parties“ (Crawley et al., 2017, p. 130)
Reactions of EU countries
„As with Europe and with other right countries, the whole idea is to keep refugees from showing up in the first place — even though these efforts never solve, or often even address, the underlying crises that cause the refugees in the first place.“ (Taub, 2015)
- Discontinuation of rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea
- More restrictive measures at the EU‘s outer borders (establishment of Frontex, creation of fences, etc.)
- Closure of and controls at intra-European borders
Consequences
The migrations crisis is considered one of the reasons for the ongoing rise of populism in Europe. It also had implications on the development of European Integration.
Questions
- How has public opinion towards immigration been conditioned by the preceding economic crisis?