Europe's Responses to the Migration Crisis: Implications for European Integration

Europe's Responses to the Migration Crisis: Implications for European Integration

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Description

This commentary analyzes how the European Union and its member states have responded to the migration crisis that peaked in 2015–2016 and examines the broader implications for European integration. Although migration flows have declined, millions of asylum seekers have prompted political, social, and economic pressures across member states, revealing fractures in consensus and solidarity. Frontline states such as Greece and Italy bore disproportionate burdens, while divergent national approaches, ranging from open-door policies to restrictive border measures, have challenged the EU’s legal frameworks like the Schengen Area and common asylum rules. The inability to harmonize border security, asylum law, and burden-sharing threatens the cohesion and core principles of the European project, potentially deepening fragmentation and empowering nationalist sentiment across Europe.

Document Type

Article

Topic(s)

Defense Policy, National Security, Transatlantic Security

Region(s)

Europe, Greece, Italy

Publication Date

4-25-2019

Keywords

European Union, migration crisis, asylum seekers, border security, Schengen Area, Greece, Italy, European integration, solidarity, EU migration policy, nationalist politics, refugee flows, burden-sharing

Europe's Responses to the Migration Crisis: Implications for European Integration

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