Refugee situation too dire to stem flow anytime soon
The recent spate of terrorist attacks in France and Germany has forced a rethinking of European immigration policy.
But the violent events, however horrendous they’ve been, have done nothing to change the fact that millions have been displaced by broader violence, particularly in the Middle East, and are seeking refuge in the West. Until the wider circumstances change, European Union leaders will have a hard time stemming the flow of migrants entering their borders.
That doesn’t mean, of course, that some aren’t trying.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, for example, has been particularly vocal in leading the anti-immigration charge and has chided fellow European leaders over the recent incidents, saying the EU “is unable to protect its own citizens, unable to protect its external borders.”
He has gone as far as seeking legal action that could change the immigration picture in Europe, filing suit in the European Union’s court and in effect challenging the quotas the EU has set to spread the burden of accepting migrants. He has said he sees “no need for a common
European migration policy.”
“Whoever needs migrants can take them,” he said, “but don’t force them on us.” Orban has also called for a national referendum on immigration in his homeland.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, is leading the counter-charge. She recently fired back at Orban, saying the assailants who carried out the recent attacks “wanted to undermine our sense of community, our openness and our willingness to help people in need. … We firmly reject this.”
Merkel has vowed not to change Germany’s relatively welcoming stance on immigration. But her position is sparking protests in Germany from groups that prefer Orban’s approach.
For example, Bavarian State Premier Horst Seehofer, generally a political ally of Merkel, has publicly criticized her over continued immigration.
And a number of European countries, not only Hungary, are erecting barriers — in some cases physical barriers — to stop the flow of migrants into their territories.
Yet Merkel has stayed firm in her position and argued that the
Merkel has stayed firm in her position and argued that the recent attacks in Europe, even those committed by individuals of Middle Eastern origin, are not a result of the continent taking in refugees. The problem, she has argued, extends beyond Europe.
recent attacks in Europe, even those committed by individuals of Middle Eastern origin, are not a result of the continent taking in refugees. The problem, she has argued, extends beyond Europe.
In problem-plagued Africa, a major source of the recent migrants, Europe has contributed to the hardships. Britain and France, for instance, initiated the overthrow of the government of Libya in 2011. That destabilized not only Libya but also much of the Sahara region, generating small boat traffic to Italy from the North African coast.
Europe, in seeking to combat the problems, has active aid programs throughout Africa aimed at improving local economies.
And the EU says it will continue with development-oriented aid in Africa but will also add on more aid to shore up local security. Whether this program can stem outward migration remains to be seen.
Europe could certainly do more to resolve the Syrian conflict, another major cause of outward migration.
The EU sits in on United Nations-sponsored talks on Syria that so far have done little to bridge the gap between the contending parties. The EU has avoided identifying itself with either the United States or with Russia, giving it a chance to advance solutions of its own.
As for accepting migrants from Syria, Europe is hardpressed, but the greatest burden falls on Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, who house most of the Syrian refugees but have been unable to cope.
Europe, having struck a deal with Turkey in March, is paying the country to keep more migrants there. But the numbers are simply too great, a reality Merkel accepts. The situation is sufficiently dire that Europe cannot avoid taking in migrants.
John B. Quigley is a distinguished professor of law at Ohio State University. He is the author of 11 books on various aspects of international law. Tribune Content Agency