Global Refugee Crisis

A European Union rule called the Dublin Regulation requires refugees to stay in the first European country they arrive in until their asylum claims are processed. This rule trapped refugees in Italy and Greece upon their arrival by boat. Many nations – Germany, Austria, Sweden, the United Kingdom and others – have waived the rule and allowed refugees to apply for asylum, but this requires refugees to have the means to travel from the country they arrive in to another country. Often, they make the long journey on foot.

Upon arrival, refugees must stay in detention camps or reception centers until they either begin to travel to another country or find a way to stay in the nation in which they arrive. Refugees are entitled to asylum in Europe under the Common European Asylum System, which outlines a framework for reception, registration, protection and rehabilitation. However, many nations lack the infrastructure to implement this system given the current influx of refugees. The camps and centers in which many arriving refugees are forced to stay are overcrowded and often lack food, water and other basic necessities.

In 2016, a deal between Turkey and the European Union forced refugees arriving on their own or through smugglers networks to be returned to Turkey. This deal has not been rigorously enforced, particularly following the coup in Turkey. Some NGOs have deemed the deal inhumane and have withdrawn services some areas in an effort to not participate, even complicity, in actions they view as immoral.

While the deal has stemmed the flow of people to Europe, it has certainly not stopped it. Many people continue to arrive, as officials have struggled to get logistics in place to implement the deal, stranding thousands in hotspots and detainment centers. The true driver of the lessening waves of people has been the stranding of many in camps and centers on European shores, and the closing of most borders along the Balkans routes.