| Author (Person) | Collett, Elizabeth |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Migration Policy Institute |
| Series Title | Commentary |
| Series Details | September 2015 |
| Publication Date | September 2015 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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Much of the chaos and distress being seen in Southeast Europe, as Greece, Hungary, and other countries on the Western Balkans route are grappling with massive inflows of asylum seekers is caused by confusion about who exactly is in need of protection, who should be responsible for protection, and a lack of on-the-ground capacity to respond. The problem is conceptual, political, and practical, and the European Union’s legislative proposals—including President Juncker’s newly unveiled plan to distribute 160,000 refugees throughout the 28 Member States—aim to manage, rather than solve, what is an international, as well as a European, challenge. This challenge is, in essence, a product of a deep mismatch between the human imperatives impelling so many to undertake often dangerous journeys and an interlocking set of EU systems and policies unequal to this extraordinary phenomenon, in no small part because each Member State has its own self-interests, capacities, and political realities. Policymakers across Europe are already thinking about what deeper changes might be needed, and how to find consensus on reform. This reflection needs to take place with a broader question in mind: what is the fundamental goal of European asylum today? Is it to offer immediate short-term protection in situations of large-scale conflict, or to offer a new start to those with dimming prospects of return in the long term, and on what basis? It may be both, but what is clear right now is that EU policy, as currently designed, can achieve neither one nor the other fairly and effectively. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/asylum-crisis-europe-designed-dysfunction |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
