Illegal Migration Resurfaces as a Thorn in Europe's Side
The surge in tension in the Middle East has led to another wave of migrants. This comes just six weeks after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an ambitious 10-point pan-European plan to address the sharp influx of migrants.
However, the most active responses are coming from the national governments of EU countries. On November 7, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced his intentions to significantly tighten migration legislation and deport more unsuccessful asylum seekers. This appears to be a diametrically opposite approach to that of his predecessor, Angela Merkel.
Of course, this shift is happening because voters, who will elect Members of the European Parliament in 2024, prefer greater protection from an influx of unwanted guests. A wave of anti-Semitic demonstrations has swept through Western Europe, and oddly enough, the most powerful demonstrations occurred in countries with the most liberal policies towards illegal migrants.
However, it's not just security concerns that are bothering voters. The second problem is the expenses associated with caring for illegal migrants. In fact, Scholz's statement came after and in connection with several hours of discussions on migrant expenses, which he held in the evening of November 6 in Berlin with the governors of the 16 German states. "I believe this is a historic moment when we sit here," said Scholz to journalists. - "In light of undoubtedly a huge challenge, with a very large number of migrants and illegal migration, all (German) states were able to work closely together, which is necessary. People expect this from us."
The newly formed government of Slovakia declared on October 30th the deployment of hundreds of police and military along the Hungarian border to curb the increasing number of migrants crossing the country illegally.
The newly appointed populist Prime Minister, Robert Fico, did not provide details of the deployment on October 30th. "We want to send a clear signal that with the new government comes a new approach to illegal migration," said the new Minister of Internal Affairs of Slovakia, Matus Sutaj Estok.
But Slovakia wasn't the first. The previous government of Slovakia had to reintroduce selective border checks with Hungary on October 5th, a day after neighboring countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland, reinstated control at their borders with Slovakia to curb migration.
So, the anti-migration fever is spreading across the European Union, and unfortunately, there are substantial reasons for it.
Sea of Death
In addition to the mentioned migration route through Central European countries, there is a maritime route from the North African coast to the shores of Italy, Spain, and Greece, which is one of the most popular.
In the summer of 2023, several tragic incidents occurred in the Mediterranean Sea with overcrowded boats. "With pain and shame, we must declare that almost 2,000 men, women, and children have died at sea since the beginning of the year, trying to reach Europe," declared Pope Francis in August and urged politicians to pay attention to the "open wound" of these deaths.
The current escalation in the situation in the Middle East creates conditions for another surge of refugees. There are increasing assumptions about the possible repetition of the 2015-16 crisis when, against the backdrop of the war in Syria and conflicts in Africa, more than 2 million people illegally crossed European borders. Mostly, they traveled by sea through Turkey and North Africa.
The second significant wave of refugees, over 5 million people, arrived in the EU due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Unlike the 2015-16 wave, these were mainly women, children, and some elderly people. In the EU, these individuals were granted temporary protection status. They adapted quite quickly, and a significant number of temporarily displaced adults from Ukraine underwent language training in host countries and found employment.
However, in September 2023, the Italian island of Lampedusa came into focus for global media. Located 113 km from Tunisia, this volcanic island traditionally becomes the first point of European land on the route of human migration. But in early September, the number of arrivals significantly exceeded the "norm": in just a few days, their figure reached 8,500, and within two weeks, it crossed the 10,000 mark, almost twice the island's population, and continued to grow. They were mainly citizens of Guinea, Senegal, Burkina Faso, as well as Sudan and Eritrea, where a civil conflict is ongoing. Refugee camps quickly became overcrowded, conditions worsened, clashes occurred, and humanitarian organizations raised alarms.
On October 27th, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Italy reported that this year, 142,384 illegal migrants arrived in Italy by boat, compared to 82,152 for the same period in 2022.
Pope Francis commented on the situation again, stating that saving people in dire situations is the "duty of humanity and civilization" and warned the governments of European countries against the "fanaticism of indifference" and the "paralysis of fear."
Photo: On the last weekend of October, six boats arrived in Lampedusa from Libya, each carrying 45 to 84 people, a total of 340 individuals, almost all men. Migrants claimed to be from Egypt, Bangladesh, Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Pakistan. Source: Emergency Italy
Tough Stretch
Governments, on the other hand, find themselves in a tough situation: managing migrant flows, finding additional funds for their upkeep, and sticking to their own pre-election promises—a challenging set of tasks.
The agreement made in July between the EU and Tunisia aimed to curb the flows of illegal migrants to the European continent by providing €1 million in exchange for keeping migrants from crossing the border through the Mediterranean Sea. Signed alongside the EU were Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Previously, similar million-euro tranches were received by Morocco, Turkey, and Libya for the same purpose. However, such agreements haven't had a noticeable impact on stemming migrant flows.
In September 2023, ministers from Mediterranean countries—Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta—responsible for migration and internal affairs urged the EU for more assistance in addressing migration issues. They proposed allocating additional funds for this purpose and cooperating with countries of migrant origin on their repatriation.
While the church calls for help "for all in need," European officials have become clearer in distinguishing between illegal and legal migrants, foreseeing stricter rules for the former but not rejecting additional labor force coming to the EU through legal mechanisms.
The Meloni Case, German Statements, and Polish Stubbornness
Before assuming office as Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni held one of the most controversial stances on migration in the EU. However, as Prime Minister, her focus has shifted to implementing new rules and controlling the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Italy legally.
According to analysts, these changes in Italy's approach are driven by business demands. To fill the labour deficit, Italy needs 833,000 people over the next three years. "There is no nation that can do without moderate migration. But the flow must be small, balanced, and controlled," believes Nicola Procaccini, a close associate of Giorgia Meloni and a Member of the European Parliament.
Italian officials state that most people reaching Italy's shores from North Africa by boat "do not have the right to asylum." Official data indicates that in 2022, Italy processed 52,625 asylum applications, with 53.5% being rejected.
In 2023, the government revoked residence permits granted under "special protection" and promised to increase the number of holding centres for arrivals until their possible repatriation. They introduced a deposit of €938 for applicants to avoid detention during the asylum application review—a departure from the previous freedom of movement during this period.
However, deporting migrants and refugees from Italy poses significant challenges. Repatriation agreements are not in place with all the countries from which migrants arrive, and most who land on Italian shores quickly move north.
Nearly a quarter of all asylum applications in the EU are filed in Germany—220,000. Due to its geographic location, Germany is not the first EU country migrants enter, relieving it of responsibility under EU law.
In September, Germany recorded 21,366 illegal entries, the highest since February 2016. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a "fair migration distribution in Europe." Starting October 2023, Germany introduced permanent border controls with Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated in mid-October, "We finally have to deport those who do not have the right to stay in the country." However, he emphasized that Germany would continue to accept qualified migrants and those eligible for asylum.
On the eastern border, Poland and Lithuania are taking measures against illegal crossings from Belarus. A wall and observation points have been set up on the Polish-Belarusian border. Two years ago, Belarusian dictator Lukashenko orchestrated a crisis by directing thousands from the Middle East to the EU borders. Poland, regarding migration issues within the EU, remains unyielding, blocking decisions on "shared solidarity," quotas for distributing migrants, and other similar proposals.
Similarly, Hungary avoids common solidarity and responsibility within the EU on migration issues, making joint decisions challenging.
Photo: On September 16, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, arrived in Lampedusa, where she, along with Giorgia Meloni, unveiled 10 points to address the migrant crisis.Source: Ursula von der Leyen's Twitter.
The Same 10 Points
In June, in Luxembourg, a new system of "mandatory solidarity" among EU member states was approved: accepting a certain number of asylum seekers, paying 20 thousand euros for each migrant denied asylum, or funding infrastructure and transport support. Poland and Hungary did not support this plan.
On September 16, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Lampedusa, where, alongside Giorgia Meloni, she unveiled 10 points to address the migrant crisis.
Among them, supporting the relocation of people from Lampedusa to other EU member states using voluntary solidarity mechanisms, enhancing border surveillance at sea and from the air, working with key countries of origin of newcomers, namely Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Burkina Faso, for their repatriation.
At the beginning of October, during the summit of the European Political Community in Granada, EU member states, Albania, and the UK agreed on a new 5-point plan, including strengthening borders, combating human traffickers profiting from people smuggling, coordinating joint intelligence, police, and security strategies in the Mediterranean, the English Channel, and across Europe.
"The responsibility for deciding who comes to Europe and under what conditions must lie with us Europeans, not smugglers and human traffickers," said Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission.
Poland and Hungary did not support the new plan, but the development of a new EU migration system continues: it is expected to be finalized by the 2024 European Parliament elections.
However, these measures do not currently account for the growing migration crisis due to conflicts in the Middle East. Moreover, recent brutal pro-Palestinian protests in European cities have created tension in society, giving politicians grounds to adopt more stringent positions.
Russia is quick to exploit any instability in Europe, already spreading misinformation on "migrant issues."
"If instability in the Middle East spreads, especially if it reaches neighboring countries like Egypt, where a large population resides, the situation could become genuinely dangerous," notes Greece's Minister of Migration, Dimitris Kyritsis, urging European unity against illegal migration.