Immigration processes have always existed. Largely thanks to them, we see the world today as it is. Such processes continue today, having a huge impact on humanity.
One of the most attractive places for migration is Europe. It is here that the stream of people who have left the countries of the Middle East, North Africa and the Western Balkans, wishing to escape from military and political conflicts, having gained economic prosperity, has not been drying up recently.
If migration growth is defined in European countries, what will this situation look like? She will point out the impressive scale of a similar phenomenon that has become a real crisis for the EU.
Types of migration
People have the right to move to other countries for economic, political and other reasons. Most follow this path using official legal channels. Having migrated to their chosen state, they abide by the rules that are adopted on its territory. Such emigrants are called legal.
But there are people who do not obey the requirements of the countries they choose to live in. They are called illegal migrants. Many of those who come to the EU flee primarily religious, ethnic, political persecution or war. These are, for example, residents of Iraq and Syria. They are called political refugees. These people enjoy the special rights enshrined in the 1951 Geneva Convention. Those who come to Europe illegally and only to improve their socio-economic situation are considered to be economic migrants. Such people do not have any internationally recognized rights that protect them. For example, in July 2015, almost 40% of illegal migrants who arrived in Germany came from the territory of the Western Balkans, in which there were no serious conflicts.
Actual problems with immigrants
How to determine migration growth? To do this, you need to calculate its indicator by a simple formula. In this case, the number of departures from the country is deducted from the number of arrivals in a particular country.
It is worth noting that the new century was marked by the intensification of globalization processes, which in our time have reached their greatest proportions. At the same time, new problems began to arise before humanity. One of them, which is the most high-profile challenge to peace in the world, is the issue of migration, which is most relevant for Europe. Indeed, the growth of this indicator has reached sizes unprecedented for its states.
Indigenous people of the EU are concerned about the situation. And many are completely negative about the influx of migrants into Europe. This is due to the fact that with an increase in the number of visitors and refugees in European countries, crime has increased significantly. People began to be afraid to take to the streets of their cities with the onset of night time. In the reports of EU states, criminal news concerning migrants is increasingly appearing. This is an attack on women in Germany, clashes with the police, as well as attempts to illegally cross the borders of Europe.
Labor attraction
According to many analysts, the migration crisis in Europe did not occur suddenly. It has been brewing for a long time. The governments of many countries believed that migration is the key to solving the problem of the demographic decline that has arisen on their territory, which threatens the well-being of any state. After all, the average age of Europeans is approaching 40 years. In some countries, it reaches the mark of 45 years. This is a clear confirmation of the aging population of Europe.
War in Syria
One of the reasons for the European migration crisis (unconditional) is the fighting in this Middle East state. They began after anti-government protests in March 2011. The so-called Arab spring has led to riots in many Syrian cities. This was the main reason for the mass exodus of the inhabitants of this country. It is the Syrians who make up about 50% of the refugees who caused the migration crisis in modern Europe. And if at the initial stage these people were sent to Turkey and Jordan, then later their number increased so much that these countries could no longer accommodate on their territory all those who fled from the civil war.
Refugees from Libya and Afghanistan joined the stream of Syrians heading for Europe. A civil war also unfolded here. People from countries on the African continent began to arrive in the EU.
The migration crisis in Europe worsened with the advent of a terrorist organization called the Islamic State on the territory of the warring countries. The situation that has developed in certain states of the Middle and Middle East has forced people to leave their homeland, going in search of a safe place for themselves and their families.
Open borders
Another reason for the migration crisis in Europe is the relatively simple and free access to its territory. So, until recently, the most preferred way for refugees was sea transportation. Her route began in Libya and ended in Italy. For the first half of 2015, 137 thousand refugees and migrants entered Europe in the Mediterranean Sea. The number of missing and drowned in April 2015 amounted to 1308 people.
Family reunion
Another reason for the migration crisis in Europe was the accumulation during previous periods in the EU countries of a huge number of immigrants from Equatorial and North Africa. In this regard, many migrants seek to enter a specific country in which their relatives have already settled. The opportunity to reunite with members of your family, to some extent already settled in Europe, greatly facilitates the psychological moments of such a move. And this is not to mention the economic benefits.
Visa issuance
Another reason for the development of the migration crisis was one of the decisions of the Government of Macedonia. According to its provisions adopted in June 2015, this country began to issue three-day visas to refugees. Such a decision significantly expanded the rights of migrants. They were able to cross the borders of Macedonia without registration, which allowed them to move unhindered towards Central Europe.
The government of Macedonia made its decision in accordance with the Dublin Agreement. It states that the registration of a refugee or the acceptance of an asylum application from him is carried out in the first EU country into which such a person entered.
Ways of Migrants
As already mentioned above, according to the Dublin Refugee Agreement, the applicant must be registered in the EU country. However, this rule is often violated. Migrants in Europe try to go to the southern territories, finding themselves in Greece or Italy.
The northern route is also popular. Syrian refugees come to Russia, and then seek to get to Norway. But there are relatively few such people. Most people from North Africa cross the borders of Europe in Greece, from which they go to Macedonia, and then to Serbia, Hungary and further west. From Italy, their route lies to Croatia and Slovenia. In Hungary, they besiege trains and get to Austria, and then head to Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg.
Refugees pay about 2 thousand euros and spend several weeks on the road. Their goal is to reach the countries of Central Europe.
Attractiveness of Germany
What caused the migration crisis in Germany? Refugees seek to enter this country because of the legislation adopted there, which is very loyal to the migrants. The German government as a whole has a positive attitude towards migration, believing that it brings enrichment and benefit to the state. Any mood in society directed against refugees is suppressed.
Assistance to migrants in this country is 400-450 euros. This is exactly the amount of benefits for each person who arrives here. In addition, Germany has many more job opportunities than Italy and Greece.
What is the right of a migrant arriving in Germany? He can count on refugee status, which is granted to him in accordance with a special act. A person needs to submit this application in the prescribed form, which must be done directly at the border crossing, as well as after arrival in the territory of the German state. It will be considered for several months. Prior to obtaining refugee status in Germany, a person has the right to social support and housing. At first, people who arrived in Germany are resettled in migration camps. After that, they are distributed in any region of the German state. There, a person receives another, more comfortable housing. Changing it yourself until a final decision is made is prohibited. If there is a need to leave his place of residence, a person must obtain a permit, the issuance of which is carried out by German authorities.
Those who apply for refugee status are entitled to social benefits in Germany. On the territory of some lands, migrants receive so-called food assistance. Elsewhere, a refugee card is issued.
After 15 months of living in the country, such people receive the right to work. But to take such people can only that vacancy, which the citizens of Germany refuse. A refugee cannot open his own business.
According to the data for 2019, the German authorities paid a monthly allowance of 3612 euros per family, of which two adults and five children are members. The main condition is to obtain asylum in Germany. Such refugees are also entitled to receive unemployment benefits. But for this you will need to collect an impressive amount of information.
Unlike Germany, in France the situation is somewhat different. In this country, the rating of right-wing parties negatively related to refugees is high. Migrants are well aware of this, and therefore try to choose for themselves more loyal states. For example, in Denmark the attitude towards refugees is more acceptable. Assistance to migrants in this country amounts to 1,400 euros per month per person. In Sweden, this amount is 800 euros.
The crisis in Europe
What problems did the EU face due to the sharp increase in the number of refugees that took place in 2015? Among them are the following:
- Lack of proper funding. The budget items of European states did not include the costs of maintaining refugees.
- Lack of a common concept regarding the distribution of refugees among EU member states.
- Lack of housing for migrants. Unlike Jordan, Libya, and Turkey, in Europe it was not enough to build tent camps alone. Due to the lower air temperature, refugees needed to be placed in residential premises equipped with heating.
- Lack of staff. EU countries have faced the problem of the lack of the required number of people registering refugees, police officers who carry out border control and escort of migrants, as well as translators.
It is noted that today, several years after the peak of the migration crisis, the EU has not been able to overcome the difficulties it has faced. The governments of the EU states were able to return the number of arriving refugees to the level that existed before 2015, however, the problem with asylum applicants is still an acute one.
At one time, Angela Merkel became one of the supporters of the “open door” policy. And until now, the German Chancellor continues to be under fire. And it sounds not only from its political opponents. Dissatisfied with members of the German government, as well as government officials from other EU countries. In this regard, at the European Union summit in Brussels in the summer of 2018, Merkel was forced to make concessions. She agreed to impose restrictions on the reception of refugees after a statement by the Minister of the Interior, Horst Seehoever, about his intention to resign, which would cause the collapse of the government coalition.
The crisis, which was initially associated only with refugees, led to disagreements and mutual accusations within the European Union. Some countries, including Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, categorically refused to open borders for refugees from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. And this despite the fact that Greece and Italy are literally choking on the flow of migrants. And this heavy burden is in no hurry to share Eastern and Central Europe with them.
New EU issues
The consequences of the migration crisis in Europe are very negative. Together with the massive flow of refugees, the states of this continent are faced with new problems. Among them:
- Terrorist threat. It comes from radical refugees. At the same time as those who hoped to find security in Europe for themselves and their families, more than 4,000 ISIS fighters leaked.
- The spread of Islam. Some experts compare the 2015 migration crisis in Europe with the invasion of Saracens. It happened in the 7-8th centuries. At that time, Muslims invaded the Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula and began to advance into the northern territories. However, the army of mockery was stopped thanks to the victory of the Europeans in the battle of Poitiers. And later, in the period from the 8th to the 10th century, as well as from the 14th to the 18th century. Muslims made armed attempts to penetrate into Europe. In turn, Christians carried out a series of crusades, liberating the Middle East, the Holy Land and Jerusalem from Muslims, while simultaneously conducting propaganda against Islam. Refugees arriving in Europe today have their own identity and religious identity. Europe has already experienced the first and second waves of migration, when immigrants from Turkey and the Arab Maghreb rushed into its territory. However, judging by this experience, it is quite obvious that no integration of Muslims into the European community should be expected. Positive results of the assimilation policy are observed only in the field of language proficiency in the country of residence. As for the religious and cultural-everyday spheres, such a process is clearly not observed here. Based on the fact that the wave of refugees that created the migration crisis in the EU significantly exceeds the previous scale, it is simply unrealistic to integrate these people into European society. Indeed, in 2015 alone, almost 1.8 million refugees, most of whom are Muslims, arrived in the EU. Moreover, most adherents of Islam today live in France and Germany. And other EU countries are oversaturated by immigrants from their African and Middle Eastern states, who have completely different values and views. And at the same time, the socio-cultural adaptation of migrants is a big question. These people do not want to accept the values of the West and do not abandon their culture and customs. The population of Europe has a fear that on its territory it suddenly turns out to be a stranger. Indeed, in the event of a massive influx of refugees into the EU, Europeans will be in the minority on their own continent. That is why the indigenous people have a negative attitude towards visitors. Moreover, the situation sharply worsened after the terrorist attacks of 2015 in France. Germany also suffered more than once from the illegal behavior of migrants. In 2016, terrorist attacks occurred in Berlin, Brussels and Nice. In 2017 - in Paris, London and Stockholm.
- The need to pay benefits. There is also an economic problem. EU countries are faced with the need to pay benefits to migrants. And despite the fact that some of them have reduced these amounts by almost half, financing for such needs is still quite impressive. In addition, a large cash flow goes to Turkey and African countries. The purpose of such funding is to conduct joint activities to stop the flow of migrants directly in their country of residence.
- The probability of the collapse of the Schengen area. In political circles, fears about the closure of the borders of the European Union are often heard. Such a fact can lead to serious economic consequences. Ultimately, it will jeopardize the existence of the euro as a single currency. The closure of the borders will certainly affect the domestic market, which will lead to an increase in unemployment.
- Split society. The population of most EU countries has different points of view regarding the refugee issue. Many people do not know how many migrants are in their country. For example, almost 60% of the inhabitants of Greece believe that the majority of refugees live illegally in their state. In Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Hungary, almost 70% of the population does not make contact with immigrants. Four out of ten EU residents surveyed are convinced that the current crisis in Europe has caused serious problems. There is no general opinion among the population regarding the migration policy pursued by the government. The leaders of many states perceive this problem as the most serious. They are trying to prevent the negative attitude of the indigenous people towards visitors, accusing the media of spreading anti-immigration sentiments. Many human rights activists call opponents of refugees populists, fascists and racists. There is a lack of agreement on migration policy between EU member states. He is not among the representatives of political circles.
These are the causes of the migration crisis in Europe and the consequences of the relocation of a huge flow of refugees to its territory.