While conditions for asylum seekers arriving on the Greek islands have been worsening over the past months, the political situation has reached gridlock after Turkey’s decision to open its borders with Greece and encourage Europe-bound asylum seekers to cross them. Erdogan’s decision has undermined the EU-Turkey deal and added to the congestion and precarious situation on the Aegean Islands and the land border between Greece and Turkey. It was followed by the Greek government announcing it will stop accepting any asylum applications for one month, while invoking Article 78 (3) of the TEU to call for a joint European response.

The humanitarian crisis at Europe’s borders and the political standstill that has built up over the last months draw attention to the EU’s failure to find a solution to its system for managing the arrival of migrants and refugees. While EU leaders visit Greece and Turkey to express European unity, it has become painfully evident that the EU-Turkey deal from 2016, aiming to stop migrants from entering the EU, is not sustainable.

Europe’s leaders have the chance to respond to the current situation by showing solidarity, both towards those fleeing conflict and hardship as well as the areas at the EU’s borders that have to deal with the arrival of refugees. The EU’s approach when supporting Member States managing the arrival of migrants and controlling the EU’s external borders must be underpinned by the protection of fundamental rights and the sharing of responsibilities between Member States. Moreover, to address geopolitical challenges in the countries of origin of asylum seekers, the EU should take a stand and effectively address the economic, environmental and geopolitical cause of mass population displacement.

European Movement International proposals

• As we argue in our Policy Position on “Migration and the Refugee Crisis: A European Response”, a true Common European Immigration and Asylum Policy is necessary to provide a European response to this challenge. European migration policy should be built on the principle of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibility. Read more.

• As highlighted in our Policy Position on “Migration and Europe: Protecting Fundamental Rights”, the scale of migrant flows must not in any way legitimise an erosion of fundamental rights and humanitarian standards. As such, we advocate for the development of a European humanitarian visa system, allowing those seeking international protection to safely apply for a visa in the Union. Read more.