2015 European migrant crisis

2015 European migrant crisis

The 2015 European migrant crisis was a time when many people from the Middle East and other places tried to find safety in Europe. About 1.3 million people asked for a place to live and be safe, called "asylum." This was the most in any year since World War II. Most of these people were from Syria, but many also came from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Eritrea, and the Balkans.

Reasons for this big movement included wars in the Middle East and difficult situations in countries where people usually went for safety, like Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. The European Union tried to help by sharing refugees among countries, but not all countries agreed or helped equally. This caused problems for the people traveling, as they often lacked safe places to stay.

Germany decided to accept many of the refugees, getting over 440,000 applications for asylum. Other countries like Hungary, Sweden, and Austria also took in large numbers. The crisis caused big changes in politics across Europe. People disagreed about how to handle the newcomers, and this led to more debates and changes in laws about who could stay in Europe.

Terminology

News and research groups used words like "migrant crisis" and "refugee crisis" to talk about what happened in 2015. Some people felt the word "migrant" wasn’t fair because it made it seem like everyone chose to move, when many had to leave because of war and danger. The BBC and The Washington Post said the word "migrant" is okay because it just means someone moving from one place to another. The Guardian suggested using words like "refugees," "displaced people," and "asylum seekers" because they are clearer. Al Jazeera chose not to use "migrant" because they thought it wasn’t correct and could mislead people.

Causes of increased asylum seekers

Many people came to Europe in 2015 because of the Syrian civil war. Other countries in the Middle East and northern Africa also had problems that made people leave their homes.

In 2014, many people came to Europe looking for safety. Germany, Sweden, Italy, and France helped the most. People came from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Kosovo, and Albania. Most of them crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Libya. Many were escaping wars and hard times in their countries, like in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Eritrea.

Different places had different reasons for people leaving. In Kosovo, there was high unemployment, especially among young people. In Syria, the civil war started after protests and grew into a big conflict. In Afghanistan, many people left because of long years of war and danger.

Means of entry into Europe

In 2015, more than 1 million people came to Europe looking for safety. Most were escaping wars in places like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Many traveled across the sea, with most arriving in Greece from Turkey. Some also came to Italy from northern Africa. These journeys were often very dangerous, and many people did not survive.

Because many people were coming from the Middle East, most entered Europe by crossing the sea from Turkey to Greece. Some smaller islands in Greece were very close to Turkey and sometimes had more arriving people than local residents. A few also walked across land borders from Turkey to Greece or Bulgaria. From Greece, many moved through the Balkans toward countries in Northern Europe like Germany and Sweden.

Some people traveled from northern Africa to Italy. Most of these were from countries like Eritrea, Nigeria, and Somalia. This route was also very dangerous.

A small number of people entered Finland or Norway through Russia. Some crossed by bicycle because driving or walking was not allowed without special permission.

Because there were not many safe ways to travel to Europe, many people paid helpers known as smugglers to get them across borders. These trips could be very risky, and sometimes people were hurt because of unsafe conditions or unfair treatment by smugglers.

Peak of the crisis

See also: Timeline of the 2015 European migrant crisis

In the first half of 2015, many people came to Europe looking for safety. They mostly entered through Italy and Greece. From there, many asked for protection or tried to travel to countries in Northern and Western Europe, often going through the Balkans and entering through Hungary or Croatia.

Hungary had to follow rules to register people asking for safety but tried to stop them from moving to other European Union countries. By August 2015, Hungary had many people in temporary camps, but most wanted to keep moving because they did not feel welcome.

In August 2015, Germany got too many requests for safety and could not process them all quickly. Because of this, Germany temporarily changed its rules for people from Syria. Many people tried to get to Germany from Hungary and other places in southeastern Europe and were welcomed by people in Germany.

In September 2015, Hungary closed train stations in Budapest, stopping people from taking trains to Austria and Germany. Many people walked the long distance to Austria. Hungary then started sending buses to take people to the Austrian border. Germany and Austria said they would let people cross the border and ask for safety there. People in Germany welcomed them at train stations.

In the next few months, many people came to Germany. Germany’s leader, Angela Merkel, said that everyone had a right to safety, no matter where they came from.

When Germany started letting more people in, many places got very busy. Germany and Austria put up border checks to help manage the flow of people. Other countries like Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia also put up checks or fences to control who could pass through.

Sweden also took in many people in 2015, more than any other European country relative to its size.

Some places had trouble giving people enough space or help. In Austria, a camp was checked and found to not have enough medical care. In Finland, they used old shipping containers and tents to house people. In the United Kingdom, some people tried to get there and ended up in camps near a train tunnel entrance. There were some unsafe situations, and a fence was built to help keep things safe.

Germany tried to share the responsibility for housing people among its states. Some smaller places, like the village of Sumte, took in many more people. Despite some worries, the village stayed peaceful. Germany used tents and empty buildings to house people.

EU-Turkey refugee return agreement

In 2015, many people came to Europe seeking safety, and many arrived through Turkey. To help control the movement of people and avoid dangerous sea trips, the European Commission talked with Turkey about an agreement. In March 2016, they made a deal. Turkey agreed to tighten its borders and take back people who entered Greece illegally from Turkey. In return, the EU would give Turkey money and help with travel rules.

The deal started on March 20, 2016. After that, fewer people arrived in Greece. However, some groups said the deal was unfair and could break rules about helping people who need safety. Over time, Turkey sometimes said it might let more people travel to Europe if it did not get what it wanted. This caused worries about more dangerous trips for people trying to reach Europe.

EU response

Main article: European Union response to the 2015 migrant crisis

When many people came to Europe in 2015 looking for safety, the European Union did not all act the same way. Some countries closed their borders quickly. This often caused confusion and left many people in places they did not want to be. Other countries, like Germany and Sweden, tried to welcome these individuals.

The European Commission tried to help make everyone's rules more alike, using plans like the Common European Asylum System. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency worked to keep borders safe, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. New ideas, such as an “Emergency Trust Fund,” were also started to support places where many of these people came from.

Role of non-governmental organizations

Non-governmental organizations helped when official efforts were not enough. After Italy stopped its Mare Nostrum operation in 2014, these groups began helping people at sea. Some Italian officials thought this might encourage people to take risky journeys. In 2017, Italy made rules for these rescue groups. These rules made it harder for them to help as many people. This led some groups, like Doctors Without Borders, to stop their rescue work.

Two Greek volunteers and an activist were honored in 2016 for helping people during the refugee crisis.

Public opinion

A study from 2016 by the Pew Research Center found that many people in Europe were worried about the refugee crisis. They were concerned about jobs, safety, and how newcomers would fit into their communities. Some people felt uneasy about immigrants from Muslim backgrounds.

The photo of a young Syrian boy who sadly passed away while trying to reach Europe became a reminder of the refugees' struggles. It led many leaders to call for action to help those seeking safety. There were also many protests—some supporting refugees and others against more people coming to Europe. These events showed the strong feelings people had about immigration during this time.

Statistics

Many people tried to reach Europe in 2015 because they were looking for safety and a new home. Sadly, some people died during these dangerous journeys.

Most of those asking for help in Europe came from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Other countries like Kosovo, Albania, Pakistan, and Eritrea also sent many people.

Young adults, especially men, made up the majority of those asking for help. Many children traveled alone, and many families sent only the fathers or mothers ahead to find safety and then bring the rest of the family later. This happened because the trips were very dangerous and costly.

Most refugees around the world stayed in developing countries close to where they fled from. However, many Syrian families and others chose to seek help in Europe, with Germany accepting the most. In that year, many of the requests for help in Europe came from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Some people were thought to be looking for work more than safety. People from the Western Balkans, especially the Romanis, were often seen this way. Still, they made up a small part of those arriving. Many wanted to go to places like Germany because they heard these countries could offer better support and more chances for a safe life.

International reactions

In September 2015, leaders from NATO said they could help countries in trouble, but issues about borders and migrants were for the European Union to handle.

Countries and groups around the world shared their thoughts. Some praised Germany for welcoming many refugees. Others said some policies made it harder for people trying to find safety. Leaders talked about the need for better help for those coming to Europe looking for a safer place to live.

Aftermath

After European Union actions were taken to stop asylum seekers from reaching its borders, the number of people arriving each month dropped to about 10,000–20,000 by spring 2016. The numbers kept falling each year after that, reaching about 95,000 by 2020. The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, sometimes said he might not follow Turkey's agreement to stop migrants and refugees from reaching Europe. He would ask for more money or react when people in Europe said bad things about how Turkey treated people.

The situation with refugees caused strong feelings in European society. In Western Europe, most people supported taking in people who were running from violence and war. People in Eastern Europe often felt differently. At the same time, many people did not like how the European Union handled the situation with the refugees.

As countries in southeastern Europe began to see many refugees and migrants passing through, some political leaders started using these feelings to get support. For example, the leader of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, talked about refugees in a way that made people afraid. Leaders in other countries also used similar words to oppose taking in refugees.

The situation with refugees was very important in elections in some countries. In Poland, a leader said bad things about immigrants. After his party won, Poland changed its mind about taking in refugees.

In Germany, letting in over 1 million people asking for safety caused many arguments. Some people in Germany did not agree with the leader, Angela Merkel, and said bad things about her plans. In the 2017 elections in Germany, a party that did not like immigrants got more votes because of these feelings.

In 2016, people in Hungary voted in a vote about taking in people the EU wanted them to accept. Most people voted "no," but the vote was not considered official because not enough people voted.

Effects on 2016 Brexit vote

Further information: Causes of the vote in favour of Brexit

The vote in 2016 about whether the United Kingdom should stay in the European Union happened about nine months after the most people were arriving. One group that wanted to leave the EU said the EU could not control its borders and used the situation with refugees as a main reason. Even though the UK was not part of the group of countries without border checks, some people still felt uneasy.

The vote to leave the EU was very close. One reason many people voted to leave was because they thought it would help the UK control its borders better.

Integration of refugees

Main article: Integration of immigrants

People who have been allowed to stay in a new country after asking for safety often have a hard time finding jobs, especially at first. This differs a lot between countries.

Rejected asylum seekers

When people’s requests for safety are turned down, they are usually asked to go back to their home countries. Some choose to go back on their own; others are sent back. Sending people back can be hard because they might not have papers to travel or their home country might not let them back in. Because of this, many people who were turned down still stay in the country without proper permission to live there.

Tightening of asylum laws

Around November 2015, some European countries made it harder for refugees to join their families and started telling people around the world not to come to Europe. In 2016, Sweden started giving refugees permits to stay for three years instead of letting them stay forever.

In January 2016, Denmark made a law that allowed police to take things of value, like jewelry or money, from refugees.

Post-traumatic stress

See also: Refugee health § Mental health

Many refugees have gone through very hard times, leaving places where there was violence and facing more danger on their way to safety. This can cause long-term problems with their feelings and health. Waiting a long time to find out if they can stay in a country, during which they cannot work or travel, often makes these feelings worse.

Press coverage

A report by the Cardiff School of Journalism for the UNHCR studied news stories about people moving to Europe in 2015. They found that in countries like Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden, some newspapers talked more about possible dangers, while others focused on helping people in need.

In the United Kingdom, some news outlets had strong opinions against people arriving. In Italy, Spain, and Britain, there were worries about how this would affect services and culture. In Sweden and Germany, the news often used words like "refugee" or "asylum seeker," while in Italy and the UK, they used "migrant." In Spain, they mostly used "immigrant." Overall, Swedish news was the most supportive of these people.

Journalist Will Hutton praised the leader of Germany for welcoming people who needed help.