Refugee Crisis in European Union and Greece - Case Study Example

REFUGEE CRISIS IN EUROPEAN UNION AND GREECE Name Institution Couse Tutor Date Refugee Crisis in European Union and Greece Overview The concept of migration; immigration and emigration; has been one of the major topics in last few decades as a result of the increasing number of issues associated with it. In some countries, due to war and catastrophe outbreaks, vulnerable people tend to emigrate out of their countries in fear of perceived effects of the disaster. For most circumstances, people tend to flee their countries in fear for their lives. Many vulnerable people have been coming into the European Union (EU) for the last decades. Recently, the increased rate of migration into European countries has resulted in refugee crisis that the union and its individual nations have been implementing different policies and politics to battle. Even though some people leave their countries to seek asylum in EU, not every person immigrate into the region for protection purposes. EU has legal and moral obligation to protecting those who flee their countries to seek protection in the region; EU has policies and laws that offer protection to asylum seekers. However, some people; who have proved to be of greater number; have been migrating into EU to improve the standards of their lives. For the last few years, this has been one of the major situations that have been associated with the refugee crisis in EU. Thousands of people have been reported dead whilst attempting to illegally enter into the EU. According to Boswell (2003) and Albahari (2015), almost 90% of the refugees; who are running away from the Syrian civil war, amongst many other reasons; are reported to have paid smugglers and organised criminals to facilitate their illegal migration into European countries. (Berry et al. 2015) argues that it is these irregular immigrants that have impacted refugee crisis in the EU in the last few years. The crisis has posed threats upon the resources available, which should be for the citizens of the European nations. This paper seeks to explore refugee crisis in EU and Greece, focusing on their policies towards responding and controlling refugee crisis. Also, the paper intends to explore the work and roles of Frontex in the EU, and how it has contributed to the battle against unauthorised migration into the region. History of Refugee Crisis in the EU With the increasing number of refugees into the European nations, the EU and European member states have been trying to battle the crisis that the region is currently facing. Even though there have been major topics amongst the European nations for decades; including climate change, and terrorism, amongst others; not one of the topics have been much prevalent as refugee crisis; refugee crisis in the EU has been one of the leading topics of discussion and concern relatively more than any other topic (Dragostinova 2016). It implies that perceived threats that the increased number of unauthorised migration into Europe subject upon European member states are relatively consequential than any other on ongoing issues in the region. However, not everything that is currently going on in the European states is new; the mass movement of people from their respective countries into European counties has a history backdating to decades ago. One instance of mass migration of refugees into Europe can be argued to be the Yugoslav wars. According to Hatton (2012), these wars resulted in sudden migration of people into the European member states. The author argues that more than a million people suddenly left their countries and migrated into Europe. Further, the world wars; Word War I and II; also resulted into mass migration of people from their countries into the European member states. Hatton (2012) claims that the two world wars are some of the causes of the biggest flow of refugees and displaced people in the contemporary times. Another instance is the rein of inter-war. Therefore are many conclusions that have been linked to the time-lines of inter-war. Dragostinova (2016) argues that one of the implications drawn from the inter-war is that a temporary phenomenon can be cause of refugee crisis; the impacts tend to last for a longer period. Over the past decades, European refugee crisis has featured various instances of high number of people moving into Europe. The mass movement of people in the past years can be linked to incidences such as the Russian revolution and civil wars, which Hatton (2012) reports to have resulted in over one million people moving into the European member states, and tensions between Turkey and Greece, which made an estimate number of up to two million people fleeing those areas and their surroundings. The refugee crisis in the EU can also be linked to the rise of the Nazi Germany. According to Carrera et al. (2012), around six hundred thousand Germans were forced to flee their countries into other European member states. Therefore, the history of Europe and the issues associated with refugee crisis features the challenges with which the region is coping today. Just as it was in the past years, refugee crisis in the European countries have been linked to various challenges. Financial and economic havoc, budget deficits and associated worries, and fringes conflicts are some of the current problems that refugee crisis impacts on the EU just as it was back in decades ago (Dragostinova 2016). Also, the issues of capacity and security, as well as the long-terms effects of refugee settlement, add to the challenges upon which refugee crisis subjects the EU. I is from these actual and potential challenges that different individual EU member states as well as the EU have enacted various laws and established policies in response and control of the refugee crisis in the region. EU Policy of Controlling Refugee Crisis Asylum Policy Migration and refugees issues can be considered to be related to each other. Due to migration, people become refugees in other countries. As discussed earlier, the idea of migration is recognised in the EU and legal and moral obligation are in place to ensure that necessary and practicable support is provided to the immigrants or refugees. Those who seek protection in other countries due to perceived vulnerabilities in their home countries; the people seeking asylum; are recognised in the EU. EU has a policy in place that governs or controls refugees that seek protection within its territories. The EU common European Asylum System (CEAS), reformed recently, entails all the laws that control the inflow of refugees into the EU. To control the mass influx of asylum seekers into the EU, CEAS outlines the qualifications as well as the procedures upon which all immigrants must go through to be accepted and offered protection and support in the EU member states. According to Boswell (2003), to be granted international protection in the EU, an immigrant must present all the papers or documents as evidence for eligibility. Also, any necessary and valid statement should be made to relevant authority whenever deemed important (Library of Congress 2016). Therefore, this perspective outlines some of the criterion through which the EU refugee policies are implemented to control and manage the refugee crisis in the region. Partnership/EU-Turkey Agreement Agreement between the EU and Turkey also demonstrate one of the EU refugee policy aspects. Back in November 2015, EU and Turkey entered into an agreement and agreed on an action plan to increase the coordination and cooperation between the two territories and control the refugee crisis (Boswell 2003). Also, the agreement was also seeking to reduce the increased number of immigrants into the EU through Turkey (Carrera et al. J 2012). Therefore, the objectives of the action plan upon which the EU and Turkey agreed seek to manage and control of refugee crisis as a result of immigration into the EU through Turkey. Through the support from the two regions, refugees coming from Syria and Iraq have been offered and provided with necessary help. (Carrera et al. J 2012; Library of Congress 2016) argue that nearly $7.65 billion has been contributed by Turkey towards their agreement with the EU to support immigrants and control the refugee crisis. Also, EU has also financially supported Turkey, based on the terms of their agreement, to resettle the refugees that intend to enter the EU through Turkey. Therefore, the agreement between the EU and Turkey is another step by the union to control the refugee crisis in the region. The Temporary Relocation System The temporary relocation system is another EU policy aspect that aims at controlling the refugee crisis in the region. According to Library of Congress (2016), the temporary EU relocation system was established to ensure redistribution of asylum-seeker amongst the EU member states. Through this system, temporary guiding rules have been enacted to ensure that refugees coming into the EU are evenly redistributed amongst the member states to allow for effective and efficient provision of their support and prevent for potential threats that can be associated with their concentration in one region. Carrera et al. (2015) argue that the system outlines and introduces a new model or criterion of allocating responsibilities amongst the EU member states to ensure efficient redistribution of the refugees. However the allocation of responsibilities to host and support refugees is based on certain factors, including GDP, population, and unemployment, amongst others. Carrera and the colleagues explain that it is through the factors that the EU determines the capacity of a respective member state towards hosting and supporting the refugees. For instance, by July 2015, over 22,000 had been relocated across the EU regions to manage and control refugee crisis (Library of Congress 2016). Therefore, the temporary relocation system is one of the elements of the policies that EU has been using to control refugee crisis amongst its member states. The Hotspots Approach Besides the above measure of controlling refugee crisis as per the policies of the EU, the approach referred to as the hotspots has been an additional effort to ensuring that refugees in the EU member states are monitored to control the refugee crisis in the region. According to (Library of Congress 2016), this approach entails relocating the refugees upon completion of screening of the refugees to ensure that irregular immigrants are identified and removed and asylum seekers are offered and provided with information towards their relocation into certain specific venue within the EU member states. The approach involves the setup of a joint operational headquarters; the European Union of Regional Task Force (EURTF); which is composed of various EU agencies that are responsible for coordinating the process and tasks of ensuring that asylum seekers are offered necessary support whilst irregular immigrants are removed from the region (Library of Congress 2016). For example, in Italy, various hotspots such as Augusta, Lampedusa, Porter Empedocle, and Toranto, amongst others, have been established in support of asylum seekers and control of refugee crisis within the member states of the EU. Return Policy Whilst relocating and redistributing the refugees under the temporary relocation system and hotspot approach, the EU agencies that are responsible for such activities tend to take a list of the refugees and their details. This idea was commenced upon establishment and introduction of a coordinated and effective communication amongst the EU member states to ensure that every refugee avails their details including information about their country of origin (Carrera et al. 2015). Based on these information, the EU has established a return policy that seeks to utilise the information execute the returning of the refugees upon establishing that the perceived vulnerabilities in their home countries have been addressed and stability attained. In the same perspective, an action plan against smuggling of refugees into the EU territories has been established. Library of Congress (2016) argue that COM(2015) 284 and COM(2015) 453 are the two policies that fights against refugee smuggling into the EU and ensuring that irregular refugees are returned to their home countries. Further, the EU policy in fighting the problem of irregular immigrants smuggling and trafficking has launched a CSDP operation referred to as “EUNAVFORMED” (Carrera et al. 2015, pp. 9). According to the authors, the operation aims strengthening the EU’s presence at sea. Bedsides the sea presence, the operation also ensures that the aircrafts moving into the EU do not bring with them irregular refugees. These strategies demonstrate action plan or policies that the EU have established and implemented to control the refugee crisis in amongst its member states. European Border and Coastal Guard As part of the agenda of the policies of the EU that’s were established in 2015, the aspect of Migration, based on the scope of its protocols, the EU launched a proposal of agreement with its neighbours to strengthen the guard or security at its borders (Jeandesboz & Pallister-Wilkins 2014; Carrera et al. 2015). Giving example with the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean and the Balkans, Library of Congress (2016) argue that the proposal by the EU commission towards strengthening its external borders would take relatively long time to achieve, but it is effective measure of controlling the immigration of irregular refugees into the EU. Based on the statement by the Vice President Frans Timmermans to the EU Commission, more than 1.5 million irregular refuges have immigrated into as a result of weak borders that allow for smuggling and trafficking of refugees, amongst other ways. Therefore, strengthening of the coastal and external border of the EU is one of the agendas of the enacted policies that can control the refugee crisis in the region. Frontex: Its work and Roles Management and control of the EU refugee crisis is all about strategizing and implementing plans to ensure there is reduced or no irregular refugees immigrating into the EU. Frontex is a control agency that ensures high and uniform level of at the external borders and within the EU to facilitate and enhance the process of refugee crisis (Baldaccini 2010). To ensure safe control of crises, Frontex makes sure that their officers or guards are well trained and capable of implementing and enforcing polices. Through coordination and corporation between the EU and Schengen Associated Countries, Frontex has been ensuring effective application of border control through operational cooperation, which Leonard (2011) argues elaborates that is coordinated by the EU. Additionally, Frontex also assists the EU states in raising and harmonising the standards governing their borders towards combating the crimes that are caused by cross-border activities. In this perspective, the agency ensures legitimacy in crossing the EU borders. Therefore, issues such as illegal or irregular refugee immigration can be prevented or controlled with the help of Frontex. The regular border control amongst the EU member states is considered exclusively the role of the respective member states. However, the role of Frotex features as additional efforts towards control management, which they offer and provide through deployment of experts and technical equipment to the borders under crisis pressure or threat (Leonard 2011). Through training and sharing of ideas and expertise, Frontex also supports the EU member states to strengthen the control of their borders and control of resultant consequences or crisis. The following are some of the practices or activities that take place during offering of support by Frontex. The entire operations carried out by Frontex are intelligence-driven. The agency in-depth annual risks analysis reports to coordinate and implement border control measures. According to Ekelund (2013), the annual analyses explore and anticipate the potential risks of regular immigration and cross-border based crimes, after which such analyses advises different control measures towards preventing such crimes or irregular refugees cases. Also, it is through these analyses that the EU member states join efforts and implement informed decisions and plans to effectively control their external borders. However, the activities of Frontex are based on effective and efficient coordination with the member states. Upon completion of assessment and evaluation of an anticipated crisis of situation, the agency then make requests to relevant officers about the number of officers required, specific expertise deemed important, and the type and number of equipment that the operation requires. It is from this information that the state members then decide or express the level of contribution that they can offer towards the joint control operation. Most of the operation plans implemented by or in which Frontex provide support involves a document of approval that clearly defines the aim and approaches to be implement by the control project. According Leonard (2011) the operation approval document not only defines the aim of the plan, but also where it is to take place and quantity, alongside the type, of technical equipment to be sued in the control operation. The operations mostly commence with debriefs with the immigrants to gather necessary information that can be used to strategically implement a plan that can effectively meet the control objective. At the implementation stage, the agency deploys border guards and supportive technical equipment to the required control areas. Guards deployed to the control regions are expected to undertake their control activities in line with the operation plan that has been approved through joint coordination between the member states. It is also important to note that the control guards or officers act in compliance with the guidance and regulation of the authorities of the host member state (Ekelund 2013). However, the deployed Frontex officers have the capacity to exercise their duties and powers to perform all the necessary checks, including border surveillance, stamping and interviewing of the targeted people, amongst others, but in compliance with the relevant code of conduct (Library of Congress 2016). They are bound to code of conduct, which defines provision of specific elements of respect to fundamental rights as well as behaviours that promote ethics whilst trying to control borders and preventing irregular immigration into the EU member states. For instance, in the policies in place to control refugee crisis in the EU, the hotspot approach features the support with the control operation by Frotex, amongst other agencies. In Italy, Frontex, amongst other agencies such as Europol and EASO, deployed experts and technical equipment to various hotspots in the country towards identifying and removing the irregular refugee in the places (Jeandesboz & Pallister-Wilkins 2014; Library of Congress 2016). Also, the proposal to strengthen the EU borders has characterised contribution from Frontex, offering support in terms of expertise, manpower, and equipment to exusre that the control operations for driving the refugees that are within the region illegally out of the states. Greece Refugee Crisis Policies Just as the EU that is legally and morally obligated to provide asylum to the people seeking international protection in its territories, Greece is also obligated to provision of asylum as per the definition of Geneva Convention on Refugee of 1951 (Library of Congress 2016). Also, just as it was in the EU, the asylum offer system in Greece has also gone through reformation following a comment by the EU that its asylum criterion is suffering from systematic deficiency. According to (Leonard 2011), Greece have put adjusted efforts and made major steps in reforming and reshaping the system of its international protection offer to those who immigrate into the country to seek it. The contemporary asylum system in Greece entails adjustment including fingerprint systems, amongst other information gathering techniques, to ensure that those people that seek asylum in the country are legitimately qualified and eligible for the international protection. Greece has also been experiencing the increasing immigration of refugees into its territories, hence has been a victim of refugee crisis that the EU has been fighting ever since before 2015. In attempts to control refugee crisis in the country, Greek Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection has established and submitted to the Council of the EU and its Commission, two different plans that they have set in place to help control the refugee crisis that is currently a major situation. According to Library of Congress (2016), the two plans advocate for building reception centres, establishing effective screening guidelines and procedures, appropriate detention conditions, and enhancing the provision of quality of facilities with which the vulnerable refugee groups, such as children, and provided. The reformed asylum system or policies outline new procedures that are followed whilst granting international protection to asylum-seekers. According to the reformed policies, every immigrant has the right to submit his or her application for international protection, along with his or her family. However, to be granted the international protection, the person needs to be eligible and qualified as per the specification of the Geneva Convention of Refugees as well as applicable Greek laws (Leonard 2011). Whilst decision of granting the protection is made, different factors are considered, including rights and obligations; however, the process of making the grant decisions is kept free from any form of discrimination or related hindrances. This case also implies support from the Schengen, which ensures that control experts and equipment are available for such practices of granting international protection to legible and qualified asylum-seekers. As it is with the EU, Greece has also established various other policies or action plans that are considered effective towards controlling refugee crisis in the country. Hotspots approach is of the policy agendas that Greek government has included in its control plans towards fighting the refugee crisis in the country. However, the plan is yet to be implemented; still pending; following a roadmap for constructions of hotspots that Greek officials presented to the Commission (EC n.d.). Therefore, this marks an instance of similarity between Greece and the EU on the agendas towards controlling refugee crisis. Another policy, which again portrays elements of similarities between the two regions, for controlling the refugee crisis is return of illegal migrants to their homelands. According to Library of Congress (2016), even though still pending, Greece has established a plan that would ensure that irregular refugees or illegal migrants are returned to their countries of origin upon its implementation. The country has been financially supported by the EU through Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) (MPI 2012). In the same perspective of returning illegal immigrants, AMIF has also financed the emergency assisted voluntary return (AVR) program that ensure that the refugees that voluntarily seek to return to their home countries are offered support of safe return. Further, the agenda of controlling the refugee crisis in Greece has also planned control of its borders to ensure that irregular immigrants are prevented from entering the Greek territories. Even though the program is still underway, it is amongst the refugee control measures that are deemed effective according to the EU agenda and proposals. In conclusion, the concept of migration has been one of the major topics in last few decades. In some countries, due to war and catastrophe outbreaks, vulnerable people tend to emigrate out of their countries in fear of perceived effects of the disaster. Many vulnerable people have been coming into the European Union (EU) for the last decades. Recently, the increased rate of migration into European countries has resulted in refugee crisis that the union and its individual nations have been implementing different policies and politics to battle. Similarly, same reasons have resulted in increased immigration of refugees into Greece. Through different mitigation and control policies, the two regions are supporting each other in fighting illegal migration and controlling the associated refugee crisis. Management and control of the EU refugee crisis is all about strategizing and implementing plans to ensure there is reduced or no irregular refugees immigrating into the EU. Frontex is a control agency that has been providing support to many EU member states by ensuresing high and uniform level of at the external borders and within the EU to facilitate and enhance the process of refugee crisis. To ensure safe control of crises, Frontex makes sure that their officers or guards are well trained and capable of implementing and enforcing polices. Through coordination and corporation between the EU and Schengen Associated Countries, Frontex has been ensuring effective application of border control through operational cooperation, which is coordinated by the EU. Reference List Albahari, M 2015, “Europe’s refugee crisis”, Anthropology Today, Vol. 31, No. 5, pp. 1-2. Baldaccini, A 2010, “Extraterritorial border controls in the EU: the role of Frontex in operations at the sea”, Human Rights and Humanitarian law, Vol. 21, pp. 225-251. Berry, M, Garcia-Blanco, I & Moore, K 2015, “Press coverage of the refugee and migrant crisis in the EU: a content analysis of five European countries”, United Nations High Commission for Refugee Report. 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Available from: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/refugee-law/greece.php#Introduction Library of Congress, 2016, “Refugee law and policy: European Union”, LAW.gov. Available from: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/refugee-law/europeanunion.php#Arrival Migration Policy Institute (MPI), 2012, “Greece: illegal immigration in the midst of crisis”, Migration Information Source. Available from: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/country-resource/greece Pallister-Wilkins, P 2015, “The humanitarian politics of European border policing: Frontex and border police”, International Political Sociology, Vol. 9, pp. 59-63. Read More