For many years, the West kept on portraying itself as a messiah and welcomed immigrants with open shores. To them the idea that their good intentions could have a far-reaching effect, or for that matter that it could lead to violence or threats of terrorism was some hypothetical idea. Like it was some problem happening out there far away from them… they failed to see that they invited the problem to their homes. Which was perhaps previously just confined to third-world countries. “We can deal with it on their soil and it’s not gonna touch us.” But, reality has a way of tapping you on the shoulder, and you have to open your eyes at a certain point. It seems that time has finally arrived.
Now after three years of intense discussions and negotiations, the European Union finally decided to thoroughly overhaul its laws on asylum and migration through a provisional agreement. While the bloc is touting it as a landmark decision…There remain multiple hurdles like getting approval from each member state.
So why is a concrete decision being taken now?? Has the Western world finally woken up to the growing number of asylum seekers to the continent which is rising by the hour? Does it finally see the potential threats to their countries’ national security?
For a long time, the European Union delayed delivering its promise of improving the migration system. But why did the European Union take such drastic steps now? Why are multiple countries emerging as advocates of anti-immigration? Perhaps, the West indeed has cast aside the shackles of so-called liberalism and has instead decided to tackle these problems with a renewed sense of urgency.
What’s In The New EU Migration & Asylum Deal?
The latest deal signed by the EU involves discussing and agreeing on the political aspects of five laws within the European Union (EU) related to handling asylum seekers and migration, with the European Council marking all five as part of the migration and asylum plan put forth by the European Commission in 2020.
This transformative deal will significantly change several key aspects, including how the bloc regulates migrants’ entry, moves migrants around European Union Nations, and streamlines the process of deporting unsuccessful asylum seekers.
The new Asylum and Migration Management Regulation also establishes a “mandatory solidarity” system, offering countries three options for managing migration flows: relocate a certain number of asylum seekers, pay a contribution for each claimant they refuse to relocate, and finance operational support. No member state will be forced to accept refugees if they contribute through the other two options.
“Migration is a European Challenge that requires European solutions,“ These were the words of EU Commission Chief, Ursula von der Leyen who strongly supported the countries’ hardline stance on migration.
While EU members hailed the decision, some Human Rights groups compared it to a catastrophe and violation of human rights.
Why is the EU worried about immigration?
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people try to immigrate to Europe. Some do so to escape persecution in their home country, others try to build a better life for themselves. Regardless of their reasons, migrants are coming to Europe in an unregulated manner and the continent is overwhelmed.
In addition to regular migration, the EU is also experiencing a significant increase in what is known as irregular migration, i.e. asylum seekers and undocumented migrants.
The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) estimates that around 1 million asylum applications were submitted in the EU+ countries in 2022. Also, secondary movements within the EU and many applications from nationals of visa-free countries who entered legally contributed.
100,000 and 86,000 applications were submitted by Syrian and Afghan immigrants respectively between January and September 2023. In addition, there are around 4 million Ukrainians who fled Putin’s invasion.
Similarly, in the first eight months of 2023, the EU border management agency Frontex detected more than 232,350 irregular border crossings at the EU’s external borders, an increase of one-fifth or 18 %.
The Central Mediterranean and the Western Balkan routes remain the most active routes into the EU this year with Syrians, Afghans, and Arab countries in Africa accounting for many detections. As per a report by Voice of America, the number of people applying for asylum in European countries this year is expected to exceed 1 million, the highest since 2016.
One of the most alarming issues that has plagued the West is that immigrants who come to these countries seeking protection, and security from the problems and oppression they’d face in their own countries, practice the same stringent and orthodox rules of their religion which they have been running away from, and above that try to impose that on the natives of these countries. Almost forgetting that they are the ones who left home seeking refuge in a foreign land, and not the other way round.
A viral video showed an Islamic Cleric of the Al Aqsa Mosque lauding the way Islam is spread in France. He claimed that by 2050 Muslims will outnumber the French living in France. He also said that Muslims must have a country that will bring Islam, its guidance, its message, and its mercy to the people of the West through Jihad for the sake of Allah.
The recent rise in the number of asylum seekers has been a major concern for EU Member States, with a widespread belief in some countries that they unfairly bear a greater burden due to their geographical location.
Italy for example received nearly 1,50,000 irregular migrants this year since Jan 1. Out of these, 36,000 arrived by March, nearly twice the number compared with the same period in 2022.
Hundreds of migrants were seen drifting towards the European shores in Boats, which ran out of fuel along the dreadful route of the Mediterranean. Passengers stranded in vessels, falling on the ground after climbing ashore, severely dehydrated, and covered in vomit with no proper safety.
Meanwhile, the country’s much vocal, debutante Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who rose to power during the same time captured headlines for her staunch ideas on immigration, and restrictions on sea rescue charities. Her underlying displeasure in correlation with immigration again came to light after she was heard saying that Islam was not compatible with Europe.
“I believe that there is a problem of compatibility between Islamic culture and the values and rights of our civilization,” said Georgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy.
Netherlands
And it’s not just Italy. The Netherlands in 2023 raised serious concerns that With the increase in the number of asylum seekers, nuisance and crime rates are also rising. Each incident is unacceptable and is one too many.
Later in July, authorities in Germany and the Netherlands also arrested nine people from Central Asia accused of plotting high-profile attacks, one of whom was said to have been working with the Islamic State terrorist group. In May this year, Dutch security services warned that the terrorist threat from Islamic State to Europe had increased.
Terrorism in the name of Islam has claimed hundreds of lives across Europe over the past two decades, which many associate with mass migration from the Islamic world. This has shaken the continent’s politics, and today Islam and migration are hotly debated topics in many European countries.
The recent victory of Geert Wilders in the Netherlands election reflects the fresh anti-immigration wave in the country. Geert directly linked Muslim Immigration with terrorism and called for a ban on mosques and the Quran. Although there are still multiple hurdles before Geert can become the prime minister of the country.
France
Of all the countries in Europe, France is under the greatest pressure from radical Islamists, having experienced a series of Islamist terror attacks in recent years. The murder of a teacher in October by the radical Islamist Mohamed Mogouchkov, who shouted ” Allahu Akbar” or “God is great”, is just one such example. The incident sent shockwaves across the nation, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to condemn the violence, calling it yet another act of Islamist terrorism in France.
France, home to the largest Muslim population in Europe, has been the target of several Islamist attacks over the years. However, the country fully woke up to this reality in 2015 when three terrorists gunned down 17 people, including the staff and editor of the infamous Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine. And ever since there have been countless incidents of atrocities carried out by Islamist extremists in Europe.
Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas War has only rubbed the salt into Europe’s wounds that witnessed several pro-Hamas rallies across the continent since the horrendous Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
This state of unrest caused by refugees arriving in Europe was already predicted by the UAE Foreign Affairs Minister in 2017 who spoke against the influx of Muslim migrants in European Nations.
Subsequently, France passed new legislation toughening the nation’s immigration policy that makes it more difficult for migrants to bring family members to France and delays their access to welfare benefits.
GREECE
In the meantime, the Greek intelligence stepped up its surveillance of refugee camps. The camps are home to tens of thousands of mainly Arab migrants who have been called to jihad by radical Islamists in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
GERMANY
Not just Greece, Germany which has Islam as the second largest religion of the country also issued a warning recently about the growing threat posed by Islamic Terrorism, especially after Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.
Critics fear that an open-door policy on migration could potentially expose the continent to security risks, as Europe is already suffering from Islamist extremist violence.
Impact on Europe’s Demography
Leaders from EU nations also express a growing apprehension, believing that the ongoing crisis is unsettling EU society and causing a notable shift in its demographics.
The Previous year saw a tussle between the EU countries regarding who will take responsibility for these undocumented people arriving on European shores, the number of which increased more than doublefold as conflict, global inequality, and climate crisis skyrocketed to subpar limits.
Europe experienced a substantial influx of refugees around 2015, primarily due to the escalating war in Syria. As per the Global Trends Report of 2022, the continent became host to 36 percent of the world’s refugees. The number soared from 7 million at the close of 2021 to 12.4 million by the conclusion of 2022. The refugee population is predominantly composed of Muslims, constituting 86%, as reported by Pew. They are primarily categorized as either asylum seekers or economic migrants.
Amid these demographic changes, concerns have arisen, often fuelled by events such as terrorist attacks. These demographic shifts have already led to political and social upheavals in many European countries. In recent national elections in, Poland, France, and Germany, for instance, immigration, particularly Muslim immigration was a top issue.
Mateusz Morawiecki, who served as Poland’s former prime minister also highlighted how huge Muslim migrants from the Middle East are coming to Germany, France, and other countries and who want to change the culture of those countries, those nations.
Recently, the secretary of the Islamic Commission of Spain said that the Muslim population living in Spain has increased ten times in the last 30 years, exceeding 2.5 million. He also stated that Muslims, who were seen as pure immigrants in the past, now have an important place among Spanish citizens.
As the number of migrants arriving in the European Union has increased over the last two years, so has the appeal and influence of anti-migrant political voices. Most European countries profess liberal democratic values however the migration debate is pushing them to the right as leaders try to alleviate rising public concerns about migration and immigration.
Take France, for example, where the Parliament passed a contentious bill imposing stringent regulations on immigrants such as heightened barriers to accessing benefits and increased difficulties for their children to become French citizens.
Germany is also talking a lot about migration. German chancellor Olaf Scholz who promised to take stricter actions is contending with mounting pressure from the right.
Even the former EU member Britain is struggling with how to address the issue. In recent months, Britain has seen some of the largest pro-Hamas rallies, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets. In Britain, immigration is likely to remain at the forefront of politics as the country heads into an election year. Like previous Conservative heads of government, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is hoping to mobilize his base by taking a hard line.
This anti-immigrant sentiment has already propelled far-right groups to victories in traditionally liberal strongholds like the flamboyant win of Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, influencing discussions not only within the EU but also in the United States. Experts suggest that in 2024, it is poised to be a driving factor in elections across Europe and even in the United States. Notably, this development comes just six months before the EU Elections.
But the irony here is that the European Union’s plans to overhaul its immigration laws and the discourse around it do not amount to any significant change. This is because, on the one hand, attempts are being made to regulate the influx of migrants, while on the other, these people are also being allowed in to remedy the shortage of cheap labor on the continent.
They are merely trying to take control of who they let into the country and how countries share the burden of the overwhelming number of immigrants arriving. But is this a concrete solution? The answer is no. The reforms proposed by the European Union have yet to be formally approved by the European Council, which represents the 27 member states, and the European Parliament.
It seems that juggling the influx of immigrants and distributing them evenly will not be enough to tackle the crisis Europe is suffering from.
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