The Need for Migration Policy


Many argue that the strict migration policies implemented by the EU were necessary and justified given the mass influx of migrants fleeing into Europe from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan in 2015. Over half a million refugees arrived in EU member states, with the EU struggling to control its borders and cope with the overwhelming number of migrants. FRONTEX recorded over 100,000 migrants in 2015 for the first time since they began keeping records in 2008.


The majority of pressure has been placed on southern member states, in particular Greece, Hungary and Croatia, which are the first points of entry into the EU for migrants fleeing from Africa and Asia. Tensions have developed at these borders with the governments of some of these countries building barbed wire defences, using tear gas and deploying armed soldiers at their borders. The United Nations has criticised the methods used and have expressed the desire for orderly management of these countries’ borders. However, due to the Dublin System, many southern states now feel aggrieved and abandoned by the EU during this crisis.


: Fig. 3.15 A border at Macedonia is closed to refugees.


The aggressive response by EU members has frustrated and angered migrants who are met with border closures and a lack of compassion. In late August 2015, Macedonia declared a state of emergency as it was unable to deal with the huge volume of migrants passing through its borders on a daily basis. This crisis soon reached other EU member countries and tensions continued to rise. In


Germany, an incident involving the tearing up of a copy of the Koran led to riots in a refugee shelter during which 17 people were injured. It is estimated that Germany has taken in 40 per cent of the migrants arriving into the EU in recent years.


Future of EU Migration Laws


It is clear throughout the migration crisis of recent years that policies such as the Dublin System have failed to bring about stability and unity of immigration laws among EU member states. The EU now needs to upgrade its migration laws to deal with human rights, anti-discrimination, citizenship and family reunification. If this is not done, the EU faces the continuous risk of crises such as those experienced as a result of the Syrian war. The future of EU immigration policy, therefore, must stress the importance of attracting skilled migrants to its countries while also providing compassionate assistance for asylum seekers from developing or war-torn countries.


In December 2015 the European Commission proposed major changes to amend the Schengen Agreement. While previously only non-EU travellers have had their details checked on police databases, the rule change now applies to migrants from within the EU also. Non-EU nationals typically did not experience ID checks once they had passed through the external borders.


80 ELECTIVE 5 PATTERNS AND PROCESSES IN THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT


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