Accommodating Refugees: The Other European Crisis
The European Union (EU) has been trying to establish a common European asylum system for fifteen years. This project has been stalled by disagreements between states, each looking out for its own national interests.
Europe is very ill prepared for the kinds of situations brought about by instability in the southern Mediterranean, which is causing refugee movements that are considerable but not unprecedented. The EU’s current systems appear poorly equipped to bring about necessary solidarity between member states.
Article published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 80, No. 3, Autumn 2015