Since the summer of 2015, Europe has been
experiencing a stark increase in the number
of asylum requests. In Belgium for instance,
the Immigration Office processed 35,476
asylum applications in 2015, compared to
17,213 applications in the preceding year. The
sharp rise in asylum seekers followed the
exceptionally large numbers of people arriving
in Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. The
so-called refugee crisis has been the topic of
heated debates across Europe as images of
boatloads of refugees arriving in Greece flooded
social media. Exchange to Change spoke to
two scholars to clarify the nature of the refugee
crisis. Robin Vandevoordt is a sociologist and
doctoral researcher at the University of Antwerp
(OASeS and CeMIS), where he is writing his PhD
on Syrian refugees. Geoff Gilbert is a professor
of law in the School of Law and Human Rights
Centre at the University of Essex. He has
worked with the UNHCR on issues related to
asylum seekers, refugees, and humanitarian
and human rights law.
To get the discussion started, Exchange to Change
asked both scholars to reflect on the thoughtprovoking title of a recent article and blog post
authored by Gilbert, which proposed that “Europe
does not have a refugee crisis.”
Gilbert was quick to emphasize that while he
says there is not a European refugee crisis, that
does not mean that there is no refugee crisis:
“The reference to Europe not having a crisis is
because what is going on in Europe is not a crisis
for those European countries, it’s a crisis for the
people who have had to flee. Undoubtedly, there
is a crisis that is occurring in their own countries,
which is forcing them to flee.” He added that
the countries geographically adjacent to major
sites of conflict—for example, Jordan, Lebanon
and Turkey in the case of the Syrian conflict, Iran
and Pakistan in the case of Afghanistan, and
Niger in the case of Mali and Nigeria—are also
experiencing a crisis, as the rapid influx of people
fleeing violence puts significant pressure on local
populations, stretching already meager resources
to their breaking point. Europe, on the other
hand, has received only a scant proportion of the
total population of displaced people worldwide.
Economically and infrastructurally, it is also
one of the regions in the world with more-thanadequate resources to cope with the arrival of
many destitute people seeking protection. The
28 EU member countries are hosting on average
2.1 refugees per 1,000 citiz ens. Compare this to
Lebanon—where, according to UNHCR figures, 1
out of every 4 inhabitants is a Syrian displaced by
the current conflict— and it is hard to argue with
Gilbert’s blunt assessment.
In a similar vein, Vandevoordt suggested that “the
current situation in Europe should be labelled
as an asylum crisis, rather than a refugee crisis.”
He also emphasized that the actual refugee crisis
is located in the regions that people are fleeing.
“However, what Belgium is facing is a policy crisis:
the bureaucracy has difficulty keeping up with the
actually in need of protection. In this sense, it
influx of asylum-seekers, and struggles to fulfill
seems reasonable enough to say that there would
its duties, in particular the provision of ‘bed, bad,
not have been as many recognized refugees in
brood’ [loosely translated as ‘shelter, shower and
Europe right now if the only way had been via
bread’].” With the exception of Germany and to
resettlement.”
a certain extent Sweden, the response of the EU
The reluctance of Europe to step up has only been
countries has been perfunctory and disappointing.
exacerbated by recent events. The November
“Germany can put its hand up and say ‘we’re
terror attacks in Paris have chilled the alreadyMore than 140,400 B
giving a lot!’,” said Gilbert, “but most of Europe is
tepid willingness of many countries to host
Fig.
4
as
refugees
Number
of
refugees
per
1
USD
GDP
(PPP)
being incredibly mean-spirited in its response.”
refugees, as governments confront a rising on a prima fa
ing period,
notably in th
per capita | mid-2015backlash from groups of citizens who
mistakenly
Responses to the influx of refugees
conflate the people fleeing terrorism
and(69,400),
violence Rwand
zania
with the perpetrators of such
acts.cratic
As antiRepublic of the C
Similarly dismayed by the EU Ethiopia
response,
469
immigrant
sentiment
builds,
countries
more 118,800
often
Vandevoordt stated that “the way countries are
estimated
Sou
Pakistan
322 tolerance are bending to fears
known
for
their
dealing with refugees is highly paradoxical, and
in neighbouring countr
whipped
up by ideologues; in mid-December, over
216
this is engrained in the GenevaUganda
Convention which
2015, mainly
in Sudan (
2,000 residents in a Dutch town clashed
violently
states that people can applyDem.
for asylum
once they
Rep.
208
and Uganda
with police in protest of plans to house
asylum(17,500). O
of Congo
have entered the hosting state’s
territory. This
seekers
locally.
And
both
Germany
and
Sweden,
ran
Africa
affected by
193
means that states cannot be heldChad
responsible
long
seen
as
the
most
welcoming
countries
in
– and thus source coun
for refugees that are outside of their
186
Kenyaborders.
Europe, have bowed to dwindling–public
support
Countries such as Australia and Canada take
during
the reporting
135
South
Sudan
and
introduced
measures
to
control
the
inflow
full advantage of this loophole by performing
African Republic (56,2
very strict border controls and
hardly letting any 117 of refugees: Germany plans to sharply reduce
Afghanistan
Sudan
(22,100).
the numbers of refugees admitted,
and Sweden
refugees enter their territories.” Vandevoordt
102
Cameroon
enacted strict border controls, reduced benefits,
explained that it is still comparably
easy to enter
COntriButiOns
limited length-of-stays, and tightened rules
for
the EU’s territory in illegal ways,
(e.g. through 94
Turkey
family
reunification.
Two main measures – ec
the Balkan route and Mediterranean Sea), whilst
Vandevoordt confirmed that similar
measures
there are only a few ways of legally claiming the
– are
used as a proxy to
have
been
taken
in
Belgium.
For
example,
letters
right to asylum in Europe. Onemostly
of the few
ways
in neighbouring countries, more than
of host countries with
have
been
distributed
in
Arabic,
informing
people
in which this is possible, is through resettlement
97,000 Ukrainians werethat
granted
temporary
prosharing.
Using both m
recognized
refugees’
residency
permits
procedures, where refugees are selected from
tection in
theofRussian Federation.
would become non-permanent intries
time.appeared
However, to be sho
within the region of conflict. “However,
most
this
policy
measure
has
not
even
been
published
Excluding
the
Syrian
Arab
Republic
and
Ukraine,
portion
of this burden.
the countries that strongly invest in resettlement,
as
a
bill
yet.
With
regard
to
this
particular
bill, to the eco
vast majority
According
such as Canada, Australia and the
Sweden,
receive of newly displaced persons origiVandevoordt
argued:
“based
on
my
own
research
far fewer refugees via illegal entry.
Youfrom
couldcountries in sub-Saharan Africa. The
nated
countries are all locate
with Syrian refugees, limiting the length-of-stay
say that European states needoutbreak
to invest more
Similarly, according to t
of violence in Burundi combined with reof recognized refugees promises to be a bad
in resettlement for various reasons. Most
thepeople’s
top 10 countries
newed and ongoing fighting
in
the
Central
African
policy measure as you are taking of
away
importantly, it is more humane as you prevent
nations,ofwhile th
and on
thebuilding
easternapart
perspective
future inoping
their country
refugees suffering the dangersRepublic,
inherent inSouth Sudan, Nigeria,
asylum.
Why
would
someone
invest
in
learning
acountries
industrialized
of
the
Democratic
Republic
of
the
Congo
have
contravelling to the EU via the Mediterranean Sea.
new
language,
educating
himself
and
finding
a
job,
Evaluating the impa
tributed
mosttosignificantly to the high level of new
It will also become unnecessary
for refugees
it is of
possible
that you will lose
pay huge sums of money to smugglers
and hence
Gross Domestic P
ita(7)everything
displacement
during the when
first half
the year.
you have built
no longer feed the
Purchasing Power Parit
up just like that?
industry of human
with 469 ref
Forata the
greattop
deal
traffickers. The
Fig. 5
Number of refugees per 1,000
dicates that
of refugees,
theEthiopia is
downside or risk is
inhabitants
|
mid-2015
temporariness
country
in ofsub-Sahara
that if resettlement
their
exile
reinforces
and relative terms. Wit
becomes the
andGDP
perpetuates
only legal way of
209
Lebanon
(PPP) per capita
the
traumas
they
applying for asylum,
followed by Uganda (
Jordan
90
escaped
from
in
and the asylum
public
of
the
Congo (20
the
first
place.
And
51
Nauru
procedure moves
Figure 4].
(186)
even
from[see
a costout of the European
31
Chad
benefit
perspective,
Examining
the num
public sphere –
24
such
a
policy
Turkey
inhabitants changes the
outside of the EU’s
makes
littlethe
sense:
borders – there is
terion,
impact of th
22
South Sudan
recent
research
the risk that it will
ible, with Jordan, Leba
19
Mauritania
pointed out that
turn into more of
top five most
countries. Wi
in Belgium,
a managerial or
17
Djibouti
inhabitants,
asylum
seekers Lebanon r
technical – rather
15
Sweden
need
approximately
followed
by Jordan wit
than a political –
4
years
to
find
their (51), C
15
Malta
habitants, Nauru
issue. Governments
way
into
the
labour
may then decide to
South Sudan (22) [see Fig
market. If you take
welcome refugees
away their residence permit after 5 years, you’ll
according to the needs of the hosting
country,
(5) That is the size of a refugee population compared to the Gross Domestic
(7) Source for national populations:
rather than responding to the numbers
of refugees
Product (Purchasing
Power Parity) – the GDP (PPP) – per capita or to the
Population Prospects: The 2015 Revis
national population size.
7
(6) See http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm for a list
of countries included under each region.
this analysis, the 2014 estimates have
(8) Source for GDP (PPP): Internation
Outlook Database, October 2015 (acc