Background Information
The issue of illegal immigration into Europe did not emerge recently, it has been happening since Europe was formed as an entity and first implemented immigration laws, but it has certainly increased in both volume and frequency in recent years, pushing the issue into the international spotlight. The reasons for this are numerous, but for the most part follow a similar storyline. The conflict and strife in various regions has left thousands upon thousands of displaced people searching for security and safety. A lot of these people resort to trying to find security within the borders of the European Union.
There are 3 major entry points into the European landmass that have been used by immigrants and conquerors, traders and smugglers alike for centuries. The first is where Gibraltar sticks down and almost touches Morocco, famously used by the Moors in their invasion of Spain, and the second is where Greece and Turkey nearly rub shoulders but for a sliver of the Aegean Sea, crossed by Alexander the Great at the beginning of his conquests. The third entry point, and by far the most dangerous, is Sicily, which is most easily accessed via boat from the Libyan coast, some 386 miles of blue Mediterranean water away. This route of crossing has become the most popular in recent years for several reasons, but mostly for its location and lack of supervision.
Real Life Example: Libya
To get a better grasp of the situation, we can examine what is happening in Libya and how the internal situation of the country has caused hundreds of people to flee. Libya is located between Algeria and Egypt in the center of North Africa, it is reachable both from Syria and from hotspots around Africa like Nigeria and Somalia, which makes it a natural gathering point. The second, and more important reason Libya has become a hub is its instability. When former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and assassinated in 2011, the multiple rebel groups involved in ousting him failed to reconstitute the government, leaving the country in a violent lurch that produced, among other acts of violence, the famous Benghazi attacks of 2012. The most recent development in regards to the Libyan government is that the UN has installed a “Unity Government” in Tripoli, the capital, that currently faces opposition from at least two other governments and multiple insurgent groups, including the Islamic State. Because of this incredibly volatile political situation, smuggling has run rampant in the country, with smugglers creating their own system of hierarchy and organization centered around capital, not human safety. These smugglers will load flimsy boats with hundreds of people and set them off to sea, leading to the estimated 5,000 immigrant deaths in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016.
What has the EU done so far to help with the situation?
The North African migrant crisis is relatively new on the world stage, which means that there aren’t really many policies that are directly geared to alleviating that situation. With this in mind, the European Union has created some general classifications and policies in regards to all refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers. A migrant is defined as being someone who “person who leaves home to seek a new life in another region or country”. This classification includes people who have migrated with government permission (ex: visa or work permit) as well as those who haven’t (undocumented migrant). A refugee is someone who flees their home because of “war, persecution, or natural disaster” and under International Law someone with refugee status cannot be sent back to a place where they could be in danger. When it comes to asylum, the EU “refers to the legal permission to stay somewhere as a refugee, which brings rights and benefits”. With regards to asylum, the EU has created the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) is 2005 to the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are protected by all EU countries. In addition to this the EU has also set certain goals that they hope to accomplish to help deal with the refugee crisis more effectively. These include “reducing the incentives for irregular migration”, “saving lives and securing external borders”, “a strong common asylum policy”, and “a new policy of legal migration”. Hopefully as time progresses the EU will implant policies that will benefit the influx of migrants who just want a better life. They are not there to cause trouble but to think and consider the future of their families.
Why is the North African Migrant Crisis worth our attention?
This European migration issue is something we should all keep in mind, especially those living in the affected areas of Europe and Northern Africa because, as stated earlier, an estimated 5,000 people have died making the journey across the Mediterranean Sea. These people are fleeing from multiple conflicts within North Africa. With this in mind, the North African migrant crisis has garnered the attention of non-governmental organizations like the Human Rights Watch and the Open Society Foundation as well as intergovernmental organizations like the European Union’s European Commission. These organizations, along with several news outlets from around the world, are highlighting the severity of the situation as well as the fact that more needs to be done in 2017 in order to get the situation under control. The Human Rights Watch stresses that the policies implemented by the EU are putting refugee lives at risk. As of the summer of 2016, the EU have not formed and effective united from to create safe channels for refugees and asylum seekers to enter Europe, but rather are creating policies to restrict the amount of refugees that are coming into Europe. Earlier in 2017, EU leaders met in Malta to maybe forge a new partnership with North African in order to place some of the “responsibility for search and rescue to Southern Partners”. The consequences of the Refugee Crisis are felt on a domestic and international level and involve a variety of actors and requires immediate attention.
Bibliography
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British Broadcasting Corporation (4 March 2016) Migrant Crisis: Migration to Europe Explained in Seven Charts. BBC News Online. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911
British Broadcasting Corporation (13 July 2016). Libya Country Profile. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13754897
European Commision (n.d.). The EU and the Refugee Crisis. European Union European Commission. Retrieved from http://publications.europa.eu/webpub/com/factsheets/refugee-crisis/en/
European Commision (n.d.) Migration. European Union European Commission. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/migration_en
Human Rights Watch (23 November 2016). EU Policies Put Refugees At Risk: AN Agenda to Restore Protection. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/11/23/eu-policies-put-refugees-risk
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MSNBC (16 May 2016). How Libya Became The Gatekeeper of Africa's Migrant Crisis. MSNBC. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.com/specials/migrant-crisis/libya
Open Society Foundation (December 2016). Understanding Migration and Asylum in the European Union. Open Society Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/understanding-migration-and-asylum-european-union
Prediger, Sebastian & Zanker, Franzisca (22 December 2016). Europe’s Migration ‘Partnerships’ with Africa Need Direction in 2017. The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/europes-migration-partnerships-with-africa-need-a-new-direction-in-2017-70695
Samuel, Henry & Squires, Nick (7 July 2017). ‘Millions of Africans’ Will Flood Europe Unless It Acts Now, Warns European Chief, As Paris Evacuates Huge Migrant Camp. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/07/millions-africans-will-flood-europe-unless-acts-now-warns-european/
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