Writing Task. Differing Responses to Forced Migration in Europe
In 2015 millions of Middle Eastern refugees tried to find asylum and safety within the European borders. What resulted was a massive administrative crisis in the outdated reception/asylum system. Alternatively, in February 2022 when the war in Ukraine began, it seemed that EU countries were able to quickly respond to the millions of women and children waiting to cross the border. In this assignment, you will be asked to consider how ‘illegality’ plays into the treatment of migrants, and critically reflect on the differing EU responses.
Read the following article from the US-online magazine Vox, to get an idea about the different treatment of Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian refugees in European countries:
https://www.vox.com/22983230/europe-ukraine-refugees-charts-map
In the article, the authors quote the Bulgarian prime minister, Boyko Borissov, who stated: “These people are Europeans, these people are intelligent. They are educated people. … This is not the refugee wave we have been used to, people we were not sure about their identity, people with unclear pasts, who could have been even terrorists.” Remember, that in 2015, Eastern European countries were among the least willing to absorb middle eastern refugees yet have taken in huge amounts of Ukrainians:
Now, answer the following questions:
How does this address the concept of a ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ migrant, using the definitions in the textbook? What might make one migrant ‘good’ versus ‘bad’? Consider aspects like documentation, education, appearance, gender, race, and age. Use the charts in the Vox - article to help support your claim. (150 words max)
Watch the following video from Deutsche Welle (DW), specifically 18:00-20:20min, to learn about the reception of non-Ukranian refugees:
The article you read includes statistics demonstrating the flows of refugees into Europe. In 2015, the refugee crisis caused by wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan seemed to be unsolvable. In the video from DW, you saw the general bureaucratic disorder, that is trapping individuals in camps for months or even years. At the same time, the EU has managed to absorb significantly more Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war in astonishingly little time:
Now, answer the following questions:
What does this deferring ability to respond highlight about the refugee intake system in Europe? To what degree does ‘political willingness’ play a role in the EU’s response? How does the EU’s ability to accommodate Ukrainian refugees challenge previous notions that these crises are too difficult to handle? Refer to the textbook section “The Various Phases of Reception” to support your argument (max 200 words).