16 Mar Migration as a Long-term Challenge – Summary

Migration, as approached from four different angles by the four panelists, unveiled a broad spectrum of opinions and perspectives which contributed to an unbiased and thorough interpretation of the current situation.

A new migration regime

According to Mr. Michael Spindelegger, Director General of the Vienna-based International Center for Migration Policy Development, finding a delicate balance between human security and state security constitutes the essential challenge for Europe. Mr. Spindelegger identified four major issues which need to be dealt with, in order to reach this balance. First and foremost, we need to find a way to reestablish control over migration flows. Hence, strengthening the cooperation of police and border management authorities between the countries along the main migration route is indispensable. While monitoring border crossings is the cornerstone of organized migration, European policies cannot be limited to physical protection. Another crucial task lies in countering the powerful though misleading propaganda of the smugglers which convinces desperate migrants that at the end of their perilous journey Paradise awaits them. Thus, a coherent and effective communication strategy is needed so that those who come in pursuit of a better life can have a realistic understanding of their prospects.

The second most pressing issue is the readjustment of the existing legal framework of the EU to the realities of the refugee crisis. The often-cited Geneva Convention (officially the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees) was signed more than half a century ago, at times which did not even resemble to present-day conditions, while the EU’s Dublin system on asylum and protection seems to be dysfunctional. The lack of clear legal provisions related to migration hinders the effective implementation of crucial policies like the repatriation of those who had been denied refugee status. After ensuring that migration flows are under control and a proper legal ground is laid down, the next step is the integration of newcomers. In the view of Mr. Spindelegger, the integration process must start at the very beginning with the inclusion of migrants into the educational system and the labor market of the receiving country, otherwise parallel societies will emerge. The last and all-encompassing challenge for the EU is to build a completely new migration regime from the bottom-up, which would focus on finding viable solutions for tackling the root causes in the countries of origin. In Mr. Spindelegger’s estimates, there are more than a million more refugees waiting to embark on the route to Europe, therefore finding a solution is more than urgent.

Existential question

Mr. Zsolt Németh, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Hungarian Parliament, stressed that the question of migration is existential for the future of Europe. He reminded that migration had always formed part of the European political discourse, though not in the shape and form of such widespread hysteria as we have recently experienced. The difference is that the problem of immigration is not confined to one particular Member State (usually a former colonizer), but it has become a pan-European concern, constituting a lasting dilemma. In Mr. Németh’s interpretation, if we want to understand the root causes of the current crisis, we have to look beyond the Syrian civil war. In his view, the mass influx of migrants and refugees is due to the relationship of Europe with its direct environment. According to this approach, the refugee crisis is a direct result of the North-South divide, or in other words, that of global inequality. Therefore, development policy should be given top priority for the European Union. Another significant policy area which should be reevaluated is security policy, especially hard security. Mr. Németh believes that the soft power approach of the EU must be critically revised from time to time. Now, when Europe has been directly affected by the renewed rivalry between the US and Russia, it is time to ask ourselves whether we want to be around the table or not. In case we do, investing in hard security is inevitable. An equally urgent task is strenghtening our external border protection. Mr. Németh pointed at Europe’s exposure by underlining that we are at the mercy of the Turkish government.

As to the divisions in Europe, he described the situation as a “dialogue of the deaf” , between two uncompromising groups, unable to reach a consensus due to their essential discrepancies. While West-European countries are outraged by the lack of solidarity demonstrated by their Eastern partners, the suspicious Visegrad region blames the West for being irresponsible. These two antagonistic viewpoints do not get closer to each other, on the contrary, a very disturbing tone aggravetes the debate. In any case, the harmonization of these two approaches is the only possible solution for mitigating the crisis. Mr. Németh considered the migration issue as a snap in the face for Europe, and he expressed his hopes that it had come in time.

A success story

Mr. Álvaro Renedo Zalba, Senior Advisor for European Affairs and G20 to the Office of the Prime Minister in Spain, talked about the Spanish experience of tackling the mass influx of migrants from West Africa arriving to the Canary Islands during the last decade. He emphasized the crucial importance of building up a strong cooperation with the local authorities of the countries of origin and transit -Senegal, Morocco and Mauritania -, in order to be able to properly handle the situation. As an indicator of success, Mr. Zalba pointed at the figures showing that while almost 36 thousand irregular migrants reached the Canary Islands on their fishing boats in 2006, the influx was practically reduced to zero only two years later. He explained the phenomenon of mass migration from West Africa to Spain as being generated by the Spanish economy’s growing demand for low-skilled and seasonal workers, coupled with certain government measures. In order to reverse this tendency, a series of policies, instruments and operational resources needed to be deployed, all based on the principle of active engagement of local authorities of countries of origin and transit. First of all, Spain enhanced its diplomatic presence and activity throughout the region, especially in Senegal, in order to facilitate dialogue with local authorities in the field. Second, development cooperation with these countries was substantially increased both through multilateral and bilateral means. Special emphasis was given to projects that focused on job creation and/or increasing educational opportunities for local youth population. A very important component of the solution was the creation and promotion of legal migration channels, connecting sectors in need for low-skilled and seasonal workers with the potential aspirants for these jobs. The coordination of the work of law enforcement agencies was indispensible as well, including the establishment of a Joint Coastal Guard with certain African countries, and the direct involvement of Frontex. Nevertheless, the most efficient instrument in Spain’s well-organized and multifaceted response was the systematic repatriation of irregular migrants. In carrying out this demanding task, the support and active participation of local authorities of the countries where migrants were repatriated to was essential.

A non-Schengen perspective

Mr. Gueorg Gueorguiev, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bulgarian Parliament, started by explaining the difficult situation Bulgaria has recently found itself as being a non-Schengen EU-member country though expected to act as such. He also recalled that his country has always been a stable and reliable partner of both EU and NATO in the Balkan region. Now, when faced with an unprecedented influx of migrants and refugees, the Bulgarian government is attempting to normalize the situation in three different dimensions: protecting the external border of the EU, redirecting the refugee route towards the points of access to the EU for registration, and finally elaborating efficient policies for long-term integration of migrants. For this purpose, certain extraordinary measures have been taken, such as the reform of the criminal code so that the armed forces could also be involved in border protection activities.There have also been legal changes with regards to organized crime networks and human trafficking.