Info Series
Info Series #8: There is a European Migration ‘Crisis’ - True or False?
The myth of the migration “crisis” has been allowing governments and the EU to evade responsibility for years
The word “crisis” means “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger”. A synonym of emergency and disaster, the word invokes the need for an immediate response or intervention and can serve to justify the declaration of a state of emergency. Use of the word “crisis” can give governments extraordinary powers, allowing authorities to act in ways in which they would otherwise be constrained. “Crisis” is also often used in media headlines to grab the readers’ attention and emphasise the severity of a situation - but it can also be misleading.
In 2015, over one million irregular arrivals were registered in the European Union (EU), representing a large increase in irregular migration compared to previous years. News outlets and politicians were quick to declare a “European migrant crisis”. The term remains prevalent today, despite the number of new arrivals in recent years dropping to pre-2014 levels and the European Commission proclaiming the “crisis” over in 2019. While there might have been a short period of time in which the term “crisis” was justified, the continued use of the word today is both inaccurate and misleading.
In addition, the focus on the large numbers of irregular arrivals is often presented without important context. For example, even at the peak of arrivals in 2015, the number of people who applied for asylum in Europe paled in comparison with the estimated 13.9 million (approximately 86% of the world’s total) refugees under the UNHCR’s mandate living in low and middle income nations at that time. This includes millions of Syrians who had previously fled to neighboring countries. Indeed, only a fraction of the world’s 80+ million people who have been affected by forced displacement attempt to go to Europe, as we wrote about in our second Info Series blog.
Framing the increase in mixed migration to the EU as a “crisis” has allowed for the creation of a prolonged state of emergency in Europe, - in countries like France, Hungary and Greece - whether officially declared or not, in which the rights of people on the move are violated. This crisis is seeing people on the move violently prevented from coming to the EU or, for those who are physically present in the EU, it sees them excluded from fully participating in society. Despite pledging to protect and promote civil liberties and human rights, the EU and its member states have thus increasingly shirked their responsibilities to protect the rights of refugees and other people on the move.
In March 2020, Turkey opened their borders into Greece, feeding into this narrative of crises. Turkey orchestrated this, and in responseGreek and European border guards used tear gas, stun grenades, batons, rubber bullets and even live ammunition to push back people on the move who were - voluntarily and involuntarily - attempting to cross from Turkey into Greece. This was a chilling example of this “state of emergency” justifying a violation of fundamental rights in the name of a “crisis”. This is an example of how ‘crisis’ allows for abuses to happen from both sides and using people on the move as political leverage and pawns in their game of chess.
As thousands of people assembled on the Turkish side of the border, news outlets were quick to proclaim a “border crisis” while Greece invoked an emergency clause that would permit it to temporarily stop accepting asylum applications. This action was later deemed illegal under international law. In the space of just a few days, the “crisis” enabled Greece to disregard international law and ignore its human rights obligations with no repercussions, even gaining support and praise from the EU for acting as a “shield” for the rest of the bloc.
Many other illegal actions taken by EU governments are also tolerated by the majority of citizens and allies as a result of the perceived “migration crisis”, including refugee camps with squalid conditions, police brutality towards people living on the streets, children lacking access to basic education for years on end, and deaths caused by the continuing violence and brutality practiced at the EU’s internal and external borders. Despite the EU’s declared values, extreme violence and rights violations on and within EU borders have come to be accepted as an inevitable byproduct of the “crisis”. Continuing to call migration to the EU a “crisis” gives governments an excuse to act illegally and violate the basic human rights of people on the move.
Politicians all over Europe have used the so-called ‘migration crisis’ as a way to win elections and push forward their own political agendas. From France to Austria, far-right political parties have been on the rise as they blame migration for many of the problems faced by residents of those countries, regardless of whether or not they have any evidence to back their claims up. In the UK, leaders have invented a “crisis” to enact policies that win them support among many voters. While there was an increase to more than 8,000 people crossing the English Channel in boats in 2020 from around 300 in 2019, this did not represent an increase in irregular migration to the UK, but rather a shift in how people were arriving. It is also worth noting that, statistically, these numbers remain extremely small and do not warrant the extremity of the word “crisis”.
In spite of this, some UK politicians claimed that asylum seekers were “invading” England and a former Royal Marine commando was named “clandestine Channel threat commander”. The use of the words “invasion”, “crisis” or “threat” is "clearly meant to instill fear", a tactic that has been successfully employed in the past to win elections or gain support for campaigns, such as the Brexit campaign.
Using the word “crisis” implies that the situation is out of control and any tragedies that occur are unavoidable. When news outlets use images of people on overcrowded dinghies drifting at sea or devastating shipwrecks, the images are often implied to be a tragic but inevitable part of this “crisis”. This focus completely overlooks the fact that the EU has played a crucial role in creating the conditions that have led to millions of people risking their lives to take dangerous Mediterranean and overland routes. Increasing border securitisation and externalisation have made it virtually impossible for people to apply for asylum or migrate in any other way, leaving them with no other choice but to pay smugglers and attempt dangerous crossings. Experts in the field have established for years that the lack of safe and legal routes to asylum does not stop people travelling, it only forces them to take more dangerous journeys. People going to desperate measures to get to the EU is not a result of the supposed “crisis” but rather a direct consequence of restrictive immigration policies.
The chaotic and overcrowded asylum reception system at the EU’s internal borders also contributes to the idea that there is a “migration crisis”, yet the real root of the problem lies in the deliberately neglectful EU and government policies. Images of refugee camps and people living on the streets imply that the numbers of arrivals are so vast that they are overwhelming EU facilities, and that there isn’t enough space to give them adequate housing. The inhumane conditions often faced by asylum seekers after their arrival, however, are a direct result of European inaction and policies aimed at discouraging more people from arriving.
With a population of almost 448 million inhabitants, there is no valid reason to justify the EU’s failure to provide a safe and healthy environment for asylum seekers, who only numbered around 470,000 in 2020. Calling migration a “crisis” is politically convenient for the governments implicated in this harm, but what we’re really seeing is a crisis in their policy on migration, through the fact that there remains so much chaos and human suffering at EU borders.
While it can be difficult to break the habit of using the terms “refugee crisis” or “migrant crisis”, it is important to do so. These are humanitarian issues, and failing to recognise them as such creates and causes even more suffering. Calling migration a “crisis” supports the narrative promoted by the EU, that irregular migration is out of control and needs to be stopped. Yet humans have always migrated - it is how we have survived this far as a species in a changing world. And with climate change an increasing factor in people’s reasons for migration, this will only become more urgent.
Instead of applying the label of “crisis” to the communities of people who migrate for safety, peace and a better future, we must use this label to better describe the crisis of policy and crisis of humanity unfolding within our governments and at the core of the EU institution. Governments must be held responsible for disregarding their commitments to human rights and creating inhumane situations both at the EU borders and within them. The language we use matters, so it is vital that we find a different way to speak about the failure of the EU to adequately receive and integrate people on the move. The migration “crisis” is a myth, the crisis of EU policy is real.
Europe's migration 'crisis' isn't about numbers. It's about prejudice⏐The Guardian
Managing the Unmanageable? Understanding Europe's Response to the Migration ‘Crisis’⏐Human Geography
Narrating Europe's Migration and Refugee ‘Crisis’⏐Human Geography
European leaders are manufacturing a "migration crisis" for political gain⏐Amnesty International
Emergency and Migration, Race and the Nation⏐UCLA Law Review
The word “crisis” means “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger”. A synonym of emergency and disaster, the word invokes the need for an immediate response or intervention and can serve to justify the declaration of a state of emergency. Use of the word “crisis” can give governments extraordinary powers, allowing authorities to act in ways in which they would otherwise be constrained. “Crisis” is also often used in media headlines to grab the readers’ attention and emphasise the severity of a situation - but it can also be misleading.
In 2015, over one million irregular arrivals were registered in the European Union (EU), representing a large increase in irregular migration compared to previous years. News outlets and politicians were quick to declare a “European migrant crisis”. The term remains prevalent today, despite the number of new arrivals in recent years dropping to pre-2014 levels and the European Commission proclaiming the “crisis” over in 2019. While there might have been a short period of time in which the term “crisis” was justified, the continued use of the word today is both inaccurate and misleading.
In addition, the focus on the large numbers of irregular arrivals is often presented without important context. For example, even at the peak of arrivals in 2015, the number of people who applied for asylum in Europe paled in comparison with the estimated 13.9 million (approximately 86% of the world’s total) refugees under the UNHCR’s mandate living in low and middle income nations at that time. This includes millions of Syrians who had previously fled to neighboring countries. Indeed, only a fraction of the world’s 80+ million people who have been affected by forced displacement attempt to go to Europe, as we wrote about in our second Info Series blog.
Framing the increase in mixed migration to the EU as a “crisis” has allowed for the creation of a prolonged state of emergency in Europe, - in countries like France, Hungary and Greece - whether officially declared or not, in which the rights of people on the move are violated. This crisis is seeing people on the move violently prevented from coming to the EU or, for those who are physically present in the EU, it sees them excluded from fully participating in society. Despite pledging to protect and promote civil liberties and human rights, the EU and its member states have thus increasingly shirked their responsibilities to protect the rights of refugees and other people on the move.
In March 2020, Turkey opened their borders into Greece, feeding into this narrative of crises. Turkey orchestrated this, and in responseGreek and European border guards used tear gas, stun grenades, batons, rubber bullets and even live ammunition to push back people on the move who were - voluntarily and involuntarily - attempting to cross from Turkey into Greece. This was a chilling example of this “state of emergency” justifying a violation of fundamental rights in the name of a “crisis”. This is an example of how ‘crisis’ allows for abuses to happen from both sides and using people on the move as political leverage and pawns in their game of chess.
As thousands of people assembled on the Turkish side of the border, news outlets were quick to proclaim a “border crisis” while Greece invoked an emergency clause that would permit it to temporarily stop accepting asylum applications. This action was later deemed illegal under international law. In the space of just a few days, the “crisis” enabled Greece to disregard international law and ignore its human rights obligations with no repercussions, even gaining support and praise from the EU for acting as a “shield” for the rest of the bloc.
Many other illegal actions taken by EU governments are also tolerated by the majority of citizens and allies as a result of the perceived “migration crisis”, including refugee camps with squalid conditions, police brutality towards people living on the streets, children lacking access to basic education for years on end, and deaths caused by the continuing violence and brutality practiced at the EU’s internal and external borders. Despite the EU’s declared values, extreme violence and rights violations on and within EU borders have come to be accepted as an inevitable byproduct of the “crisis”. Continuing to call migration to the EU a “crisis” gives governments an excuse to act illegally and violate the basic human rights of people on the move.
Politicians all over Europe have used the so-called ‘migration crisis’ as a way to win elections and push forward their own political agendas. From France to Austria, far-right political parties have been on the rise as they blame migration for many of the problems faced by residents of those countries, regardless of whether or not they have any evidence to back their claims up. In the UK, leaders have invented a “crisis” to enact policies that win them support among many voters. While there was an increase to more than 8,000 people crossing the English Channel in boats in 2020 from around 300 in 2019, this did not represent an increase in irregular migration to the UK, but rather a shift in how people were arriving. It is also worth noting that, statistically, these numbers remain extremely small and do not warrant the extremity of the word “crisis”.
In spite of this, some UK politicians claimed that asylum seekers were “invading” England and a former Royal Marine commando was named “clandestine Channel threat commander”. The use of the words “invasion”, “crisis” or “threat” is "clearly meant to instill fear", a tactic that has been successfully employed in the past to win elections or gain support for campaigns, such as the Brexit campaign.
Using the word “crisis” implies that the situation is out of control and any tragedies that occur are unavoidable. When news outlets use images of people on overcrowded dinghies drifting at sea or devastating shipwrecks, the images are often implied to be a tragic but inevitable part of this “crisis”. This focus completely overlooks the fact that the EU has played a crucial role in creating the conditions that have led to millions of people risking their lives to take dangerous Mediterranean and overland routes. Increasing border securitisation and externalisation have made it virtually impossible for people to apply for asylum or migrate in any other way, leaving them with no other choice but to pay smugglers and attempt dangerous crossings. Experts in the field have established for years that the lack of safe and legal routes to asylum does not stop people travelling, it only forces them to take more dangerous journeys. People going to desperate measures to get to the EU is not a result of the supposed “crisis” but rather a direct consequence of restrictive immigration policies.
The chaotic and overcrowded asylum reception system at the EU’s internal borders also contributes to the idea that there is a “migration crisis”, yet the real root of the problem lies in the deliberately neglectful EU and government policies. Images of refugee camps and people living on the streets imply that the numbers of arrivals are so vast that they are overwhelming EU facilities, and that there isn’t enough space to give them adequate housing. The inhumane conditions often faced by asylum seekers after their arrival, however, are a direct result of European inaction and policies aimed at discouraging more people from arriving.
With a population of almost 448 million inhabitants, there is no valid reason to justify the EU’s failure to provide a safe and healthy environment for asylum seekers, who only numbered around 470,000 in 2020. Calling migration a “crisis” is politically convenient for the governments implicated in this harm, but what we’re really seeing is a crisis in their policy on migration, through the fact that there remains so much chaos and human suffering at EU borders.
While it can be difficult to break the habit of using the terms “refugee crisis” or “migrant crisis”, it is important to do so. These are humanitarian issues, and failing to recognise them as such creates and causes even more suffering. Calling migration a “crisis” supports the narrative promoted by the EU, that irregular migration is out of control and needs to be stopped. Yet humans have always migrated - it is how we have survived this far as a species in a changing world. And with climate change an increasing factor in people’s reasons for migration, this will only become more urgent.
Instead of applying the label of “crisis” to the communities of people who migrate for safety, peace and a better future, we must use this label to better describe the crisis of policy and crisis of humanity unfolding within our governments and at the core of the EU institution. Governments must be held responsible for disregarding their commitments to human rights and creating inhumane situations both at the EU borders and within them. The language we use matters, so it is vital that we find a different way to speak about the failure of the EU to adequately receive and integrate people on the move. The migration “crisis” is a myth, the crisis of EU policy is real.
Europe's migration 'crisis' isn't about numbers. It's about prejudice⏐The Guardian
Managing the Unmanageable? Understanding Europe's Response to the Migration ‘Crisis’⏐Human Geography
Narrating Europe's Migration and Refugee ‘Crisis’⏐Human Geography
European leaders are manufacturing a "migration crisis" for political gain⏐Amnesty International
Emergency and Migration, Race and the Nation⏐UCLA Law Review
