The European Union has always prided itself on being a bloc born out of war, held together by an indestructible determination not to relive the horrors of the past. It has withstood half a century’s worth of political and economic shocks, most recently the threat of Greece leaving the eurozone.
But its unity started to fray this week under the pressure of almost 500,000 migrants and asylum seekers who have arrived in Europe since the beginning of the year, straining the continent’s border-free Schengen area and core principle of solidarity. This debate is far more explosive than the euro crisis was. What is at stake is the future of Schengen, and a sense of order in Europe and a common European spirit.
The tension was palpable on Wednesday on the margins of an EU summit, which was designed to focus on the broader political aspects of the migration crisis. But a decision to outvote four central and eastern European nations on refugee redistribution poisoned the atmosphere, already soured by Hungary’s brutal closure of its borders to refugees.
On the global stage, the EU’s refugee numbers pale in comparison to what other places have had to contend with - most notably Turkey, which has taken in over 2mn Syrian refugees. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker this week declared the EU “ridiculous” in its fight over 120,000 asylum seekers who are to be redistributed across the bloc.
Yet, the issue has driven a damaging wedge into the 28-country EU, with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia up in arms about the decision to sideline their concerns and outvote them. The hardline positions taken by some central European countries have horrified their EU neighbours. They have been accused of forgetting their own refugee pasts or wanting to only benefit from EU membership without extending a helping hand to others.
It is difficult to say if the migration crisis has sounded the death knell for the EU or the Schengen area. But there is an urgent need for the bloc to take credible action. It is not a faraway problem like the Greek debt saga or the war in eastern Ukraine, but one that is visible on the streets in many EU countries.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the refugee crisis represents a “national, European and global task” that demands a humane approach from Germany and the European Union. “How we deal with the current crisis will shape our continent well into the future,” Merkel said. Germany has offered the warmest welcome to the refugees, especially those from Syria, with business leaders and the government saying migration can help to counter the effects of an ageing population and prevent a shortage of labour.
Nevertheless, many Germans are concerned about how easily the newcomers can be integrated, not least some of Merkel’s political allies.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said the EU will need to do far more than increase aid for Syrian refugees in the Middle East and relocate the 120,000 people within Europe. “The relocation plan will not put an end to the problem, but it hopefully will be the beginning of a solution,” Guterres said. “It is an important step toward stabilising the crisis, but much more needs to be done.”
UNHCR and Amnesty International have both said the EU has failed to create more legal opportunities for refugees to reach Europe safely, such as permanent resettlement, family reunification and student visas.
It is likely the struggle by overwhelmed EU countries to absorb the asylum seekers will lead to deepening national divisions and a popular backlash.