6.

EU and MIGRATION CRISIS

Migration is a common phenomenon in the history of mankind. Those who are now trying to
reach European shores have different reasons and choose different ways.
Most seek legal ways to get rid of political oppression, war and poverty, or to find their family
and improve their professional and educational prospects. But many times they risk their lives. In
2015 and 2016, the European Union (EU) faced an influx of unprecedented refugees and
migrants.
More than one million people have arrived in the EU, most escaping war and terror in Syria and
other countries. The EU has proposed a series of measures to cope with the crisis.
These include trying to address the root causes of the crisis as well as increasing aid to people in
need of humanitarian assistance both inside and outside the EU. Measures are being taken to
relocate asylum seekers already in Europe, resettlement of people in difficulty from neighboring
countries and the return of those who do not qualify for asylum. The EU improves border
security, combating migrant traffic and providing safe ways to enter its territory. Many people in
need of international protection arrive in the EU to seek asylum. International protection is
granted to those who leave their country of origin and can not return there for well-founded fear
of being persecuted or at risk of suffering serious harm. The EU has a legal and moral obligation
to protect those in need.

Member States are responsible for examining asylum applications by deciding who will benefit
from protection. In particular, the Commission is making constant efforts to ensure that
appropriate child protection measures are taken. This is an increasingly urgent issue, given that
the number of migrant children, especially unaccompanied children, is increasing. These children
are extremely vulnerable and need special attention. But not everyone who comes to Europe
needs protection.
Many of them leave their country in an attempt to improve their lives. They are often called
economic migrants and if their request for protection is not legitimate, national governments
have the obligation to return them to their country of origin (including through coercive
measures if they do not willingly leave) or in another safe country they have crossed over.
Thousands have lost their lives at sea, trying to reach the EU.
Almost 90% of refugees and migrants have paid members of organized crime groups and
traffickers to cross the border. Food, water and shelter supply for these people puts enormous
pressure on the resources of certain EU Member States, such as Greece and Italy, the countries
where most of the refugees and migrants enter the EU. In the Schengen area, people can move
freely without internal border controls, but the flow of migrants has led some Member States to
temporarily reintroduce border controls with other Schengen countries. Over the last 20 years,
the European Union has applied some of the world's highest common asylum standards. In
addition, over the last two years, the European migration policy has progressed rapidly in line
with the implementation of the European Migration Agenda proposed by the European
Commission in May 2015.

The EU has increased its capability to search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea and
combat criminal networks. The tripling of available resources helped save over 400,000 lives in
2015 and 2016. More than 2,000 traffickers and illegal migrants were detained and 375 ships
were removed.
The EU collaborates with the five main countries of origin and transit in Africa (Ethiopia, Mali,
Niger, Nigeria and Senegal). For example, EU cooperation with Niger contributes to reducing
the flow of transit through the Sahara. EU funding supports self-employed persons in transit
areas and six centers for vulnerable migrants as well as efforts to combat illegal immigration and
trafficking in human beings.
The EU-Turkey declaration of March 2016 aims to stop uncontrolled flows of migrants in the
Aegean Sea. It also provides legal ways for refugees to enter Europe. Consequently, the number
of refugees and migrants arriving from Turkey has been significantly reduced.
After a record 10,000 arrivals in October 2015, in March 2016, arrivals to Greece rose to an
average of less than 74 per day. The EU and Turkey agreed that irregular migrants arriving on
Greek islands coming from Turkey who are not asylum seekers or whose application has been
rejected are being returned to Turkey. For every Syrian citizen returned to Turkey after an illegal
crossing into Greek islands, the EU will accept another Turkish citizen from Turkey who has not
attempted to enter its territory in an irregular manner. By July 21, 2017, 7,807 Syrian refugees
were resettled from Turkey to the EU on the basis of this agreement. The EU offered support to
Greece and Italy to set up so-called "hotspots", helping the authorities in these countries better
manage future migration flows.

In this context, it also sent experts from the Member States to help verify, identify and register
the arriving persons and inform them about the right to apply for international protection. The
rate of return in the countries of origin of the migrants in the situation increased irregularities that
do not have the right to stay in the EU. Member States agreed to apply the return rules more
actively and the European Border Police and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) will support them
by coordinating return flights.
The EU also supports Member States by concluding return agreements with relevant non-EU
countries. The new European Agency for Border Police and Coast Guard was inaugurated in
October 2016. Its mission is to ensure that Europe can protect itself external borders and face the
new challenges of migration and security. More than 1 550 agents have been mobilized to help
Member States at the external borders, out of the 100 000 border guards that already exist in EU
countries. An Emergency Relocation Scheme was set up in 2015, with Member States accepting
to take over migrants from Greece and Italy. Until July 21, 2017, over 24,000 people (16,774
from Greece and 2,675 from Italy) had been relocated to 24 participating states. Member States
should be able to allocate all eligible until the end of 2017.
The EU also wants to create safe and legal ways for asylum seekers to enter the EU so that they
are not forced to risk their lives by resorting to traffickers or illegal immigrants. A voluntary
relocation program agreed by the Member States provides for the transfer of 22 500 people from
outside the EU. By July 2017, about 16,500 people were resettled in 21 states. In the period
2015-2017, a total of € 17.7 billion was earmarked from the EU budget to cope with the
migration crisis.
Of this amount, EUR 10.3 billion was directed towards non-EU funding, including EUR 2.7
billion for humanitarian aid, EUR 0.6 billion for the Syria Trust Fund (also known as the
MADAD Fund) and 2, EUR 4 billion for Africa's Emergency Trust Fund. The EU's humanitarian
aid supports refugees and migrants from countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
In support of the Turkish Refugee Facility, the EU and Member States have already allocated
EUR 2.2 billion for humanitarian and non-humanitarian assistance. In June 2017, contracts were
signed for 48 projects worth over EUR 1.6 billion, of which EUR 811 million was already paid.
EU is also the main donor in the international response to the crisis in Syria. It has already
allocated EUR 9.4 billion in humanitarian and development assistance.
That is why the EU advocates that vision of mankind or that model of society that is supported
by most of its citizens. Europeans boast rich values, including human rights, social solidarity,
freedom of enterprise, fair distribution of economic growth, the right to a protected environment,
respect for cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, and a harmonious synthesis of tradition and
The European Union's Fundamental Rights Charter proclaimed in Nice in December 2000
encompasses all the rights currently recognized by the Member States and EU citizens. These
values create a sense of belonging to the same European family. A good example of this is the
abolition of the death penalty in all EU countries.