The recent refugee crisis in Europe, also referred to as the Mediterranean migration, was a time characterised by large numbers of people arriving into the European Union from around the Mediterranean Sea or on irregular routes through Southeast Europe. These include people from Northern Africa as well as from Italy and Bangladesh. The overwhelming majority of these people are not refugees as they have political or religious motivations, but are mainly travelling to a better standard of life is what most of the EU countries are offering in exchange for their hard work and open doors. Although the numbers have reduced somewhat in the past few weeks, many tens of thousands of people are still making the dangerous journey to a better life in Europe.
However, the numbers do represent a challenge for the EU as it is struggling to cope with the increased pressure and need for international assistance in dealing with the situation on its borders. Some have called the influx an act of war by various groups against the EU and its member states. These groups are said to be associated with international terrorism and to be operating from Chechnia, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
In reaction to the rising numbers, several thousand people have been forced to flee their countries of origin and seek safety in Europe. Many of them have lost loved ones and have gone into hiding in fear for their lives. There is a huge demand for more resources and an immediate response from the international community in order to help these desperate people. The recent research concentrates on the need for more resources and assistance to deal with the crisis in Europe. It shows that there is no quick way to solve the problem and that the current arrangements to provide for the refugees are not sustainable.
There is a pressing need for an integrated and comprehensive strategy in order to manage the influx of hundreds of thousands of people and the associated issues in future years. According to the research, there are five main root causes for the rise in the numbers of the refugee crisis in Europe. These include internal displacement due to conflict and violence, ethnic cleansing and mass movements, predatory behavior of human trafficking and climate change. The paper suggests that the root causes can be categorised as ethnic and identity-based, immigration, predatory behaviours of human trafficking and changing migration rules. This new approach is likely to change the way Europe deals with the refugee crisis in the future.
The paper identifies four key areas for improvement in the management of the crisis. These are: development cooperation, capacity building, protection and emergency services provision. It is found that there has been a major failure in the process of developing policies that would deal with the different issues concerning the crisis. The lack of appropriate integration procedures, insufficient information and language skills make the integration of the refugees difficult. The research also indicates that the lack of a system for crisis management is putting the EU and its member states at great risks.
The study is therefore concluded by emphasising that there is a need for an updated strategy on migration, which should be based on the current conditions, with an eye to future situations and should be capable of dealing with the different aspects that affect the migration. The major recommendations made by the researchers are: better development cooperation within the EU, protection and safety of the citizens and assistance to the countries of origin, especially in terms of language skills. The research focuses on the possible developments that could be done to address some of these issues. In this way, it hopes to provide a clearer picture on the current situation on migration and help EU member states to build a more stable and safe environment for the future.