University of Petroleum & Energy Studies

College of Legal studies

BA. LL.B. (Hons.) Energy Laws
Semester III

Academic YEAR: 2015-16

SESSION: Aug- Dec
Project
For
POLITICAL SCIENCE: International Relations
Under the Supervision of: MR. Sambabu K.C.

Name:
Sap No:

Tanmay Verma

500040443
Roll no.:
Title:

96
European Refugee and

Migrant Crisis:
A Contemporary
Dimensional Analysis

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am using this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who
supported me throughout the course of this constitution law Project. I am
thankful for their aspiring guidance, invaluably constructive criticism and
friendly advice during the project work. I am sincerely grateful to them for
sharing their truthful and illuminating views on a number of issues related to
the project.

I express my warm thanks to Mr. Sambabu K.C. Sir for his support and
guidance.

INDEX:

1. INTRODUCTION.:04
2. EUROPEAN REFUGEE AND MIGRSNT CRISIS..:05-07
3. BACKGROUND:08-09
4. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:10-11
5. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REFUGEE CRISIS.:12-14
6. EUS RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND.:15-17
7. URGENT, COORDINATE EU ACTION NEEDED..:18
8. RECOMMANDATIONS::19-20
9. COCLUSION.:21
10.

BIBLIOGRAPHY..:22

I.

INTRODUCTION:

The refugee and migrant crisis in Europe whether off its coasts, on its shores, or along
its roadsides is a crisis for children. One in every four asylum seekers in Europe so far
this year has been a child. A total of 110,000 children sought asylum between January and
July an average of over 18,000 children every month. The needs, protection and best
interests of each one of those children should always come first.
The current humanitarian crisis is unprecedented with an appalling and unacceptable
human cost. The number of refugees is unparalleled in recent times. The diversity of
nationalities, motives for migration and individual profiles also creates a huge challenge
for asylum systems and welcoming communities in main European destination countries.
Moreover, given the complexity of its main driving forces, there is unfortunately little
hope that the situation will improve significantly in the near future. This issue of
Migration Policy Debates looks at the most recent developments in the humanitarian
migration crisis and what makes this crisis different from previous ones.
Europe will record in 2015 an unprecedented number of asylum seekers and refugees
with up to one million asylum applications; an estimated 350 000 to 450 000 people
could be granted refugee or similar status, more than in any previous European refugee
crisis since World War II. Recent refugees from the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) are
more skilled than other groups and those who came, for example, during the Yugoslav
wars in the 1990s. There are more unaccompanied minors (children without a responsible
adult to care for them) arriving now than previously. Refugee flows tend to concentrate
in countries with the most favorable economic conditions. A strong jobs market seems to
be the most important determinant of flows for main refugee groups. Europe has better
legal and institutional systems in place for asylum-seekers and migrants than it did in the
1990s. However, these have not ensured a fair burden-sharing between countries, and
have not prevented people from choosing smuggling routes.

II.

What Do You Mean By European Refugee

And Migrant Crisis?

Europe is experiencing what many consider to be its worst migration and refugee crisis
since World War II, as people flee conflict and poverty in neighboring regions. Many are
from the Middle East and Africa; others come from Ukraine, as well as Kosovo and
elsewhere in the Western Balkans. Experts have characterized the influxes as mixed
migration, defined as flows of different groups of peoplesuch as economic migrants,
refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons, trafficked persons, and unaccompanied
childrenwho travel the same routes and use the same modes of transportation (see text
box).1 Sometimes termed irregular migrants, these individuals do not have the required
documentation, such as passports and visas, and may use smugglers and unauthorized
border crossings.
EU leaders are facing a European refugee crisis and must address it as a common
European challenge, consistent with their collective and individual member state
responsibilities to refugees. There has never been a time when the need for a common
European response to refugee arrivals has been more urgent. That response is needed to
meet the EUs collective obligations in international law, as reaffirmed in the EU legal
order, in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the EU Treaties and legislation. Yet,
even in the face of this pressing need, some EU leaders seem determined to insist on
isolationist positions. For instance, most refugees are now arriving in the Greek islands,
where humanitarian assistance is lacking, and basic needs are not being met. The Greek
government should be taking responsibility, but as it cannot at the moment, the EU must
step in, and offer safe passage and relocation. 2 At present, those arriving via this route are
being compelled to leave the EU again, and travel illegally across the Balkans, where
they sometimes risk their lives once more. A coordinated humanitarian response is
necessary, with safe passage to member states where asylum claims can be examined and
protection provided, in line with international and European law.

DALLEY SUZZANE, On Island of Lesbos, a Microcosm of Greece's Other Crisis: Migrants,

(2009)DALLEY SUZZANE, On Island of Lesbos, a Microcosm of Greece's Other Crisis:
Migrants, (2009)

2
5

According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, most people arriving would
likely qualify as refugees or receive another form of international protection. 3 Refugees
are people fleeing from places where governments are no longer able or willing to protect
their basic rights. Fearing persecution, refugees have no choice but to leave their homes. 4
92% of people arriving in Greece are coming from countries experiencing war or
conflict: Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.5 Moreover, many arrivals who are not refugees
under the 1951 Refugee Convention are entitled to subsidiary protection in EU law, as
they are fleeing indiscriminate violence or inhuman and degrading treatment. Others are
vulnerable in other ways that create particular legal and ethical obligations to them.
Recognizing this as a refugee crisis is not just a matter of semantics: while states are
legally obliged to respect and protect the rights of all human beings within their
jurisdiction, they have particular legal obligations to refugees. People have the right,
under international law, to leave any country, including their own, 6 in particular to seek
protection.7 The principle of non-refoulement, that people may not be returned to face
persecution or other serious human rights violations, is sacrosanct in international law.8
3 UNHCR, The sea route to Europe: The Mediterranean passage in the age of refugees, July 1
2015, http://www.unhcr.org/5592bd059.html , p. 2-3 (hereinafter Sea Route)

4 UNHCR, Refugee Protection: A Guide to International Refugee Law, 2001,

http://www.unhcr.org/3d4aba564.html , p. 8

5 UNHCR, Refugees/Migrants Emergency Response, Greece

6 Article 13(2) Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Article 12(2) International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights;
Article 2, Protocol 2, ECHR

7 Article 14(2) Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises the right to seek and to enjoy
asylum.

8 Non-refoulement norms are found under Article 33 of the Refugee Convention; Article 3 of the
Convention Against Torture,
under the ICCPR and ECHR, and under customary
international law

And the EU collectively recognizes not only the right to non-refoulement, 9 but also the
right to asylum. Those due international protection in EU law are not only those who fall
within the 1951 Refugee Convention, but also its expanded concept of subsidiary
protection which confers a status on those who are protected against removal as they
face serious risks of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or the indiscriminate
violence of armed conflict. The EU has repeatedly reaffirmed these protections. It has
made collective commitments not only as regards who will be afforded protection, but
also their reception conditions10 while their claims for protection are being processed, and
the relevant procedures.111 European states are thus obligated to protect refugees. There
are, however, massive implementation gaps, and there is no effective system of practical
cooperation and sharing of responsibility
Mixed migration flows may include groups such as:
Economic migrants: who are largely trying to escape poverty and seek a better life.
They do this legally or illegally, for the long term or temporarily. In theory, they would
receive the protection of their government should they return home.
Refugees: who have fled their country of origin because of a well-founded fear of
persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, or membership in a particular social
9 Article 19(2) EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: No one may be removed, expelled or extradited
to a State where there is a serious
risk that he or she would be subjected to the death penalty, torture
or other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

10 Asylum Reception Conditions Directive: Council Directive 2003/9 of 27 January 2003 laying down
minimum standards
for the reception of asylum seekers [2003] OJ L31/18;
Directive 2013/33/EU of 26 June 2013 laying down standards
for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast)
[2013] OJ L180/96

11 Asylum Procedures Directive: Council Directive 2005/85/EC of 1 December 2005 on minimum

standards on procedures in
Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status
[2005] OJ L326/13; Directive 2013/32/EU of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on common
procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection
[2013] OJ L/180/60

or political group. Refugees are unwilling or unable to avail themselves of the protection
of their home government due to fears of protections under international law.
Asylum-seekers: who flee their home country and seek sanctuary in another state where
they apply for asylum, i.e., the right to be recognized as a refugee. They may receive
legal protection and assistance while their formal status is determined.

III. Background:
Over the past 15 years around 22,000 men, women and children have drowned
in the Mediterranean Sea. The vast majority of these people were fleeing
conflict and poverty, many from countries where Trcaire works Syria, Iraq,
Somalia, South Sudan.
In 2014, more than 250,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea, of
whom 3,702 are known to have died. The deaths of all migrants and refugees
attempting to reach Europe by sea in 2015 now total 2,373 The International
Office for Migration (IOM) report that last year, from late August through the
end of December, over 1,200 migrants died at sea. It is possible that by winter,
additional deaths at sea could well surpass 2,000.
The number of people reaching Greece by sea had reached 158,000 by midAugust, according to the UN, overtaking the 90,000 who arrived in Italy by sea.
In the past two weeks alone, over 23,000 people have entered Serbia, taking the
total so far this year to some 90,000.12 These statistics cannot fail to shock us
as behind each one is a real human being facing unprecedented risks and
suffering.

12 Statement of UNHCR Deputy Director, Progress Report on Resettlement, Meeting of the Standing
Committee of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioners Programme, Geneva, 26-28
2012.

In October 2013, after 13366 migrants drowned when a boat sank yards off
Lampedusa, the EU paid Italy to step up its rescue patrols, in an effort called
Operation Mare Nostrum (after the Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea).
These patrols prevented thousands of deaths, until the EU decided that the
patrols, with their promise of rescue, were encouraging more migrants to set
out, and withdrew the money. After the death of 800 refugees in April 2015, the
EU reversed its decision again, promising to restore funds to their previous
level. Simultaneously, however it proposed military action to destroy
traffickers boats and kill or capture the people smugglers themselves. The
military plan was then quickly denounced by the EUs own internal evaluation.
A European Agenda on Migration was published in May 2015 bringing together
the different steps the European Union must take to build a coherent a
comprehensive approach to migration.
The European Council meeting on 20 July 2015 adopted a resolution on
relocating 40,000 people from Greece and Italy in clear need of international
protection as well as a resolution on resettling 22,504 displaced people from
outside the EU. The Council will formally adopt the decision in September.
However, the Member States failed to agree on how to distribute the asylum
seekers and postponed the decision until the end of the year.
What forces someone to make one of the hardest decision- to leave family
and the loved ones?
Increasingly in the last 6-12 months, Trcaire has got young well educated men
and women from Syria arriving in Lebanon. They left only when it became
evident that despite all the rhetoric and diplomatic initiatives, a peaceful
resolution to this vicious conflict remains very far away. Many of these young
people spent the first 1-2 years of the crisis volunteering in Syria to support
those affected by the crisis when the conflict was not so fragmented and
widespread and before the social and economic impact of over 4 years of war
obliterated their options.14 The pressure on young men in particular to join
armed Forces are immense, and young men continue to leave to avoid force
recruitment. In most cases they leave behind parents & grand-parents who have
13
9

never lived in another country. They physically or psychologically do not have

the strength to start a new life but they want their children to find safety and
opportunity elsewhere. As we are increasingly bombarded by statistics and
figures and ever exposed to dehumanizing terminology, we need to remind
ourselves that behind each figure, there are real people who have already been
through war, loss & devastation.

IV.

Historical Analysis: European Refugee

And Migrant Crisis:

There are two layers to this crisis and why it has grown so dire. The first is the
sometimes-overlapping web of wars and crises that has forced millions of people from
their homes in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere and that has
opened, ever so slightly, a previously closed route to Europe. The second, and lessdiscussed, is the increasingly anti-refugee politics in Western and other wealthy countries
that are best suited to take them? People in those countries, insecure and fearful over the
effects of immigration, preoccupied with vague but long-held ideas about national
identity is driving nativist, populist politics, and thus policies that contribute to the crisis.
It's not hard to understand why Syrians are fleeing. Bashar al-Assad's regime has targeted
civilians ruthlessly, including with chemical weapons and barrel bombs; ISIS has
subjected Syrians to murder, torture, crucifixion, sexual slavery, and other appalling
atrocities; and other groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra have tortured and killed Syrians as
well.
Most of these Syrian refugees have ended up in underfunded and crowded camps in
neighboring countries. But seeing little future for their families in the camps, and
14 Council Regulation (EC) No 377/2004 of 19 February 2004. The Immigration Liaison Officers are
representatives of the Member States who are posted in a non-Member State in order to facilitate
the measures taken by the EU to combat
irregular immigration (OJ L 64, 2.3.2004, p. 1). The United Kingdom and Ireland "opted-in" to this
Regulation (see
footnote 3).

10

knowing they may never be able to return home, many have decided to set out on the
dangerous and uncertain journey for a better life in Europe. The result is that at a time
when more people than ever need help, wealthy countries are more reluctant to help them
putting thousands or millions of innocent refugee families in peril. But its not just
Syria. Older, longer-running conflicts have displaced, for instance, 1.1 million refugees
from Somalia and 2.59 million from Afghanistan.15
Political and sectarian repression in other countries has contributed as well. Many
families in Eritrea, for example, are fleeing the dictatorship there that is sometimes called
Africa's own North Korea. In Myanmar, a Muslim minority group known as the
Rohingya has endured brutal violence and ethnic cleansing, sometimes with the tacit
support of the Myanmar government or even at the hands of government forces
themselves. Fleeing Rohingya made headlines in recent months after thousands
became stranded at sea, marooned in dangerous boats because neighboring countries
refused to take them in.
Meanwhile, in Central America, gang violence and lawlessness made thousands of
families so desperate for their children's safety that they sent those children on a perilous
journey north toward what they hoped would be safety in the United States. Many of their
futures remain uncertain.16 To be sure, there are also many economic migrants who travel
to wealthy countries in search of better opportunities for themselves and their families.
But their presence doesn't erase the desperate need of refugees who make the difficult
decision to flee with their families, risking drowning in the Mediterranean or dying on the
roads because the terrifying dangers of the journey are still preferable to what they face if
they stay behind.

15 Rabat Process, Khartoum Process, the Budapest Process, the Prague Process, the EU-Africa
Migration and Mobility Dialogue.

16 Directive 2013/32/EU of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing
international protection, OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 60; Directive 2013/33/EU of 26 June 2013 laying
down standards for the reception of applicants for
international protection, OJ L 180, 29.6.2013, p. 96. The United Kingdom and Ireland did not "opt-in"
to these Directives

11

As the crisis has grown, and particularly as more refugees have left camps in places such
as Jordan or Myanmar and set out for wealthier countries, the crisis has also become far
more difficult to ignore. It is not merely a matter of swelling numbers of people in far-off
refugee camps although that is happening too, and the camps are in crisis but of
desperate families reaching the shores and borders of Europe.
There are a few reasons that refugees have become more willing to brave the journey to
Europe (or to Australia, in the case of some Southeast Asian refugees; or to the US, in the
case of Central American refugees). The first is that the crises in their home countries
have simply become too dangerous to tolerate. Another is that while many initially fled
into camps, those camps have become dangerous as well, and offer little future for
families who may spend years there.

V.

What You Need To Know About European

Refugee Crisis:
a. How Big Is The Refugee Problem On Europes Borders?
12

Robert Visser, director of the European Asylum Support Office, says conflict
creates refugees, and there is more conflict near Europe's borders than there
used to be. He points to Ukraine, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, and
Afghanistan the horns of Africa.
"This produces people who go on the move and seek their future in Europe,"
he says. The International Organisation for Migration estimates that more
than 350,000 migrants were detected at the EU's borders between January
and August this year. And there is potential for this number to keep
climbing.
Violence and civil war in Syria and Iraq have displaced millions. An
estimated 1.7 million refugees are in Turkey, 1.2 million in Lebanon, more
than 600,000 in Jordan, hundreds of thousands in Iraq and Egypt. Another 7
million are internally displaced inside Syria. Roughly half of the country's
entire pre-war populations are refugees, at home or abroad.
On top of this, estimates of the numbers of people fleeing sub-Saharan
Africa range up to another million many of these ends up in Libya or
Tunisia, waiting to cross the Mediterranean.
b. How Many Are Crossing Into Europe?17
The flow of asylum seekers into Europe is increasing.
According to Euro stat, 662,000 people applied for asylum in the EU in
2014. This was almost 200,000 more than the year before, and doubles the
number in 2011.
The number is going to be even higher this year. Already it is about half a
million, tracking 100-150,000 greater than the same time last year, an EU
official told Fairfax Media.
Before June this year, between 60,000 and 70,000 new applications were
coming in every month. In June the number suddenly shot up to 88,000.
17 Commission Communication: "Maximising the Development Impact of Migration"
(COM(2013)292 final); Council Conclusions on Migration in EU development cooperation of 12
December 2014.

13

c. Who Are They?

In terms of origin, since 2012 by far the biggest national group has been
those fleeing Syria. In 2014 Syrians made up 128,000 of the total asylum
applicants followed by 47,000 from Eritrea, 43,000 from Afghanistan,
38,000 from Kosovo, 31,000 from Serbia, then Pakistan, Iraq and Nigeria.
But the picture was different in 2010 back then; the biggest groups were
Afghans, followed by Russians, Serbs and Iraqis.

d. Are They Allowed To Stay?

Of course, not all asylum applications are approved. By Visser's estimate, up
to a third of those seeking asylum in Europe do not qualify as refugees at
least by the standards that Europe applies.
There is political debate over those standards. Some say that migrants
fleeing abject poverty, mandatory conscription or major civil unrest should
be treated as refugees. Others say Europe is being too lenient, treating many
as refugees who are really just seeking a better life in a better country, with
better options for employment.

e. How Do They Get Into Europe?

According to Frontex figures, in 2014 the majority of the refugees came over
the central Mediterranean, on boats from Libya and Tunisia.
But this year the numbers coming by that route have almost halved
instead, there has been a huge surge in people coming over the eastern
Mediterranean, at the land border between Greece and Turkey, or more
usually over the sea. They make the short hop to islands such as Lesbos or
Kos, where the arrival of so many unexpected asylum seekers has
overwhelmed local authorities' ability to house, clothe, feed and process
them. Many even travel by the regular passenger ferries: Greece claims that
14

Turkish officials were making no attempt to stop them boarding. Finally,

there has also been a huge leap more than doubling in the numbers
coming from or through the (non-EU) Balkan states such as Serbia, moving
north to the borders with Austria and Hungary.
f. Where Do They Hope To Go?18
Refugees themselves differ. I have spoken to some determined to reach
Britain, others who say Britain is "very bad", citing its chequered history in
the Middle East. Others talked of Canada, or Sweden.
Many want to go to Germany, because they know it is the most welcoming
country, one where they stand the best chance of finding a community,
starting a new life, getting a job, rather than ending up in a stagnant southern
Europe economy or an eastern Europe camp in an unsympathetic, poor
region. On Saturday, Austria said the asylum seekers would be granted entry,
regardless of European Union rules. Often, language is the determining
factor. Those from Africa, especially, have English as a second language.
They want education and employment, and ending up in an Englishspeaking country would make it easier to integrate faster.

VI.

EU Has A Responsibility To Respond:

Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "Everyone
has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution."
The United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the
1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees guides national legislation
concerning political asylum. Under these agreements, a refugee is a person who
outside their own countrys territory (or place of habitual residence if stateless)

18 Directive 2009/50/EC of 25 May 2009 on the conditions of entry and residence of thirdcountry nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment, OJ L 155, 18.6.2009, p.
1729. The United Kingdom and Ireland did not "opt-in" to this Directive and are not bound
by or subject to its application.
15

owes to fear of persecution on protected grounds. Protected grounds include

race, caste, nationality, religion, political opinions and membership and/or
participation in any particular social group or social activities. Member states
and EU institutions have a duty to respond to this situation under international
law.
Article 14 of the Declaration of human rights states that "Everyone has the
right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution."
With many thousands of extremely vulnerable people surviving without
adequate food, water, healthcare or shelter across multiple countries, EU
Member States and institutions must provide adequate assistance and immediate
support. Even though a percentage of people will be moving for economic
reasons, escaping poverty, and ultimately may not be entitled to the status of
a refugee or an asylum seeker, every individual is entitled to dignity, protection
and basic assistance while applications are being processed. This is not an
excuse for inaction.
A. Failing EU Policy Response:
European policy makers have failed dramatically to address the growing
crisis. The scale and speed of the response on the part of the European
institutions and states has been wholly inadequate and beset by division.
European Commission Migration Agenda, agreed in May 2015 highlights
the immediate imperative is a duty to protect those in need, but continues
to assess the migration crisis primarily through the lens of EU security.
Despite the issuing of this agenda, the European authorities continue to be
overwhelmed by the scale and speed of the flows of people arriving across
the Mediterranean Sea throughout the summer. Following recent efforts by
the European Commission to share out asylum seekers, refugees will be
shared out automatically whenever a country faces a sudden influx of
migrants. However, Member States have been slow to commit to the plan
and final numbers will not be agreed until December.

16

B. EU Responses And Challenges:

C.
For many years, the EU has sought to develop a common immigration and
asylum policy, but progress has been slow because of national sovereignty
concerns and sensitivities about minorities, integration, and identity. As a
result, policies continue to vary widely across the EU. While Germany and
Sweden have accepted tens of thousands of refugees, other EU member
states have been less welcoming. Financial difficulties in some EU
countries, including Italy and Greece, and the growing popularity of antiimmigrant political parties throughout Europe have also constrained the
responses of some European governments to the ongoing crisis.
As the crisis has deepened over the summer, the EU continues to struggle
with burden-sharing, maintaining security, and protecting human rights. EU
leaders will hold an emergency meeting in mid-September; observers expect
they will reevaluate the Dublin regulation (Germany has already announced
that it will not apply the rule to Syrians), identify countries of origin
deemed "safe" for repatriation (particularly in Africa and the Balkans), and
move forward with setting up EU-funded reception centers in "frontline"
member states. Some in the EU appear to support establishing asylumprocessing centers in Africa and the Middle East, but others worry about
creating additional "pull" factors. Germany, France, and Italy have called
again for a redistribution systemin which each EU country would accept a
certain number of asylum-seekersbut this remains extremely
controversial. Experts suggest that without more coordinated EU policies,
the crisis could threaten the Schengen system should countries seek to reimpose systematic
Border controls; some have already stepped up security and instituted
temporary border checks.

17

VII. Urgent, Coordinated EU Action Needed:19

The European Union should establish a human rights-based, coherent and
comprehensive migration policy which makes mobility its central asset to
allow Europe to reclaim its border, effectively combat smuggling and
empower migrants. The same standards applied to humanitarian crises
19 Descy, Pascaline (2014), Projected labour market imbalances in Europe: Policy challenges in
meeting the Europe 2020 employment targets, in OECD/European Union, Matching Economic
Migration with Labour Market Needs, OECD
Publishing (http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264216501-12-en).

18

outside Europe must now also apply in this response. Ireland must be both a
responsible actor and a strong advocate for comprehensive responses from
EU Member States, which must include a commitment to continuing to save
lives at sea; responding to high volumes of arrivals within the EU; targeting
criminal smuggling networks and underground illegal labour markets.
EU Member States must commit to collective legal action to protect the
rights of those who require protection, either as a refugee or as an asylum
seeker. Building fences, using tear gas and other forms of violence against
migrants and asylum seekers, detention, withholding access to basics such as
shelter, food or water and using threatening language or hateful speech will
not stop migrants from coming or trying to come to Europe. EU Member
States must lean on the humanity of Europeans, where large majorities
support relocation and increasing the numbers of refugees per country. This
leadership must be based on empathy for people forced to make tragic
decisions. A lack of compassion will encourage hostility, distrust, racism,
criminalization and xenophobia.

VIII. Recommendations:
The EU should lift visa requirements and carrier sanctions, at least for
nationals from major refugee-producing countries, to allow refugees
to fly to Europe and seek asylum.
The EU should allow much greater legal movement of asylum-seekers
from the southern Mediterranean to other European countries. The EU
should consider enabling more frequent, flexible use of family reunification
mechanisms under the Dublin System; abandoning the Dublin System and
developing non-coercive mechanisms to allocate responsibility for asylum
claims; and agreeing to relocate more asylum-seekers from Italy and
especially Greece to other Member States through a permanent relocation
scheme.

19

 The EU and Member States should ensure that asylum-seekers have their
applications processed according to international standards. Europe needs a
comprehensive, common asylum policy with minimum standards of
protection.
The EU and Member States should continue to support and expand the
search and rescue missions that save refugees from drowning in the
Mediterranean. Where national authorities are unable or unwilling to
respond to vessels in distress, EU rescue operations must step in.
The EU and Member States should provide funding and technical support
for the humanitarian response in Greece and Italy, ensuring that all arrivals
have immediate access to shelter, health care, safe water, sanitation,
information, and protection for vulnerable groups. The governments of
Greece and Italy must ensure that this support reaches local authorities.
With this support, the governments of Greece and Italy should ensure a
coordinated, effective response. Authorities in all European countries should
avoid detention wherever possible and respect the human rights of refugees
and migrants.
The EU should ensure that UNHCR and International Organization for
Migration (IOM) support responses to the crisis, especially in monitoring
arrivals and providing arrivals with information on reception and asylum
processes.

20

Conclusion:
After well perusing the whole project report as well as all the probable facts related to
this topic it can be concluded that there is a very strict need for EU to take some steps to
find out a cure for this problem which has become a major issue now. And it can also be
concluded that there is a strict need for this issue to be considered as a issue of great
importance and some help should be provided by UN in this case to Europe.
The EU should allow much greater legal movement of asylum-seekers from the southern
Mediterranean to other European countries. The EU should consider enabling more
frequent, flexible use of family reunification mechanisms under the Dublin System;
abandoning the Dublin System and developing non-coercive mechanisms to allocate
responsibility for asylum claims; and agreeing to relocate more asylum-seekers from Italy
and especially Greece to other Member States through a permanent relocation scheme.

21

EU Member States must commit to collective legal action to protect the rights of those
who require protection, either as a refugee or as an asylum seeker. Building fences, using
tear gas and other forms of violence against migrants and asylum seekers, detention,
withholding access to basics such as shelter, food or water and using threatening
language or hateful speech will not stop migrants from coming or trying to come to
Europe. EU Member States must lean on the humanity of Europeans, where large
majorities support relocation and increasing the numbers of refugees per country. This
leadership must be based on empathy for people forced to make tragic decisions. A lack
of compassion will encourage hostility, distrust, racism, criminalization and xenophobia.

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Migrants, (2009)
3. "Migrant 'chaos' on Greek islands UN refugee agency". BBC News. 7 August
2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
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