Through the Mediterranean: tragedy of refugees and the EU crisis

Abstract

The so-called “refugee crisis” is the largest humanitarian crisis witnessed by Europe since the afterwards of World War II. But its seriousness and relevance go beyond the human suffering involved, as it entails a deep crisis of the EU. It is a multidimensional one that has led to the collapse of the European asylum and refugee system, the systematic failure of solidarity among the member states and towards forced migrants, and repeated infringements of European and international law. Additionally, it is eroding the authority of the EU institutions, threatening freedom of movement in the Schengen area, exacerbating the EU’s territorial division and fuelling the rise of xenophobia and Euroscepticism. This article reviews these events, the main facets and the various implications of this crisis.

Keywords

• EU
• crisis
• refugees
• asylum
• Mediterranean