There is a simple truth beneath the growing human tragedy of Europe’s
refugee crisis, and the European Union cannot address the massive influx
of exhausted, desperate people in a manner compatible with its values
unless governments and citizens acknowledge it. Simply put, the historic
challenge confronting Europe also offers historic opportunities. The
question is whether Europe’s politicians – who have failed to deliver on
far less complicated issues over which they had a lot more control –
can seize the moment.
These problems are aggravated by
coordination failures. Attitudes toward refugees vary widely across
countries, with Germany taking a particularly enlightened approach
that contrasts sharply with Hungary’s notably heartless one. Some
countries, such as the Czech Republic, have blocked deals to share the
burden fairly among European Union members, including through mandatory quotas.
Europe has the opportunity to turn today’s refugee crisis into a catalyst for renewal and progress. Let us hope that its politicians stop bickering and start working together to take advantage of this opening. If they fail, the momentum behind regional integration – which has brought peace, prosperity, and hope to hundreds of millions of people – will weaken considerably, to the detriment of all.
Read more: Refugees And Reform In Europe » Social Europe
The scale of the challenge is immense, with
the flow of refugees extremely difficult to monitor and channel, let
alone limit. Fleeing war and oppression, tens of thousands of people are
risking life and limb to find refuge in Europe – a phenomenon that will
continue as long as chaos persists in countries of origin, such as
Syria, and countries facilitating transit, such as Iraq and Libya.
In the meantime, Europe’s transport
networks are under stress, as are shelters, border crossings, and
registration centers. Common asylum policies – including, for example,
the basic rule that asylum-seekers should be registered at their point
of entry into the EU – are not functioning or are being bypassed. And
the cherished concept of effortless travel within the border-free
Schengen Area is under threat.
Europe has the opportunity to turn today’s refugee crisis into a catalyst for renewal and progress. Let us hope that its politicians stop bickering and start working together to take advantage of this opening. If they fail, the momentum behind regional integration – which has brought peace, prosperity, and hope to hundreds of millions of people – will weaken considerably, to the detriment of all.
Read more: Refugees And Reform In Europe » Social Europe
