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Destination: Europe (Forced Migration Review 51)

Europe is experiencing the mass movements of displaced people in a way that it has largely been immune from for decades. The manifestations of the 'migration crisis' are as disparate as the building of fences to stop people crossing normally peaceful borders, the deaths of people transported by smugglers in unseaworthy boats, EU political leaders bickering over a Common European Asylum System and the numbers they will or will not allow into their respective countries, and contentious responses to the disaster that continues to unfold in Syria. Alongside this we also see an upsurge of grass-roots compassion, solidarity and assistance to those whose human suffering on a grand scale in and around Europe constitutes the reality behind the rhetoric. FMR 51 includes 43 articles on 'Destination: Europe', plus five 'general' articles.

# Episode Title Description People Date
50 FMR 51 - From the Editors Europe is experiencing the mass movements of displaced people in a way that it has largely been immune from for decades. Marion Couldrey, Maurice Herson 19 Dec 2015
49 FMR 51 - Foreword: Banking on mobility over a generation Europe need not renounce its freedom of movement: it should instead develop a better controlled mobility regime. It would then, in effect, much better control its borders. François Crépeau 19 Dec 2015
48 FMR 51 - Migrants, refugees, history and precedents There is much about earlier migration crises that today’s European policymakers might profitably recall. Colin Bundy 19 Dec 2015
47 FMR 51 - Refugee protection in Europe: time for a major overhaul? A number of myths surrounding refugee protection may obscure our understanding and complicate the search for solutions, but there are also clear and realistic possibilities for change in the EU’s body of law to enable better outcomes for states & refugees Maria Stavropoulou 19 Dec 2015
46 FMR 51 - Simplifying refugee status determination There is a persuasive case to be made for simplifying refugee status determination in the European Union. Kelly Staples 19 Dec 2015
45 FMR 51 - Arrivals on the island of Lesbos, summer 2015 Lesbos, population 85,000, received more than 85,000 refugees and migrants in 2015 up to the end of August. Fotini Rantsiou 19 Dec 2015
44 FMR 51 - It need not be like this Creating space for smugglers and failing to provide humanitarian assistance are European failures. Opening legal routes to Europe could deal with both. Cathryn Costello 19 Dec 2015
43 FMR 51 - The Mediterranean challenge within a world of humanitarian crises While the high number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe in 2015 has increased pressures and tensions, this is not a crisis beyond the capability of Europe to manage together as a Union. William Lacy Swing 19 Dec 2015
42 FMR 51 - A network of camps on the way to Europe While makeshift camps, such as those that have proliferated around Europe, may form spaces of resourcefulness and agency which cannot be accommodated in state-run detention camps, none of these temporary spaces is a definitive solution. Irit Katz 19 Dec 2015
41 FMR 51 - Trickery in Dublin’s shadow Border practices at the Italy-Austria border are part of a wider trend of questionable practices used by EU Member States which render irrelevant both the Schengen Agreement and the Dublin Regulation. Marco Funk 19 Dec 2015
40 FMR 51 - Abuses at Europe’s borders Refugees and migrants have been regularly subjected to widespread rights violations by officials at some European borders. The EU needs to allow more legal avenues for people seeking protection to reach Europe safely. Duncan Breen 19 Dec 2015
39 FMR 51 - Melilla: mirage en route to Europe Among those who have reached Melilla, there seems to be no consensus as to whether they see themselves as being in transit in Europe or still in Africa. Frida Bjørneseth 19 Dec 2015
38 FMR 51 - Search and rescue in the central Mediterranean Although people are aware of the risks of the sea crossing, nothing can really prepare them for the experience. Hernan del Valle, Rabia Ben Ali, Will Turner 19 Dec 2015
37 FMR 51 - Safety, rescue at sea and legal access If it is to live up to its own values, the EU needs to step up search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean and open up legal means for access to protection in Europe in order to avoid the need for risky journeys across the Mediterranean. Stefan Kessler 19 Dec 2015
36 FMR 51 - Migrant arrivals and deaths in the Mediterranean: what do the data really tell us? The policy and media gaze focuses on numbers of migrant arrivals and deaths. There are problems in the data for both categories. Frank Laczko, Ann Singleton, Tara Brian, Marzia Rango 19 Dec 2015
35 FMR 51 - Irregular migration by sea Irregular migration by sea is not a solely Mediterranean phenomenon. N/A 19 Dec 2015
34 FMR 51 - Afghan and Somali (post-)conflict migration to the EU There are invisible drivers of migration for Afghans and Somalis to Europe, caused by decades of conflict. Although officially considered as ‘post-conflict’, the reality is very different. Nassim Majidi 19 Dec 2015
33 FMR 51 - Understanding why Eritreans go to Europe Why do Eritreans risk their lives on perilous journeys to Europe? Why they don’t stay in neighbouring countries where they could get safety and protection? Mogos O Brhane 19 Dec 2015
32 FMR 51 - No option but Europe Asylum seekers’ stories point to the need for effective protection for refugees and to facilitate greater opportunities to access it, both within Europe and beyond. Yotam Gidron, Olivia Bueno 19 Dec 2015
31 FMR 51 - Iraqi refugee households in Jordan: the active search for solutions For Iraqi refugees in Jordan the decision to leave for Europe is very much influenced by the experience of waiting in the region. Mirjam A Twigt 19 Dec 2015
30 FMR 51 - Tragedy on the way to Europe: a perspective from Africa As Europe grapples with the challenges of responding to the arival of large numbers of migrants, it is vital to keep in mind that the people involved have not left their homes and countries for no reason. Many of them would rather have stayed at home. J O Moses Okello 19 Dec 2015
29 FMR 51 - EU cooperation with third countries: rethinking concepts and investments Despite ‘externalising’ its immigration agenda, the EU has largely failed to develop a coherent and effective overall strategy, to the detriment of migrants and would-be asylum seekers. Elizabeth Collett 19 Dec 2015
28 FMR 51 - The road more travelled? Onward movement of asylum seekers and refugees The phenomenon of onward movement creates formidable challenges for states, asylum seekers and refugees, and the international protection system as a whole. Madeline Garlick 19 Dec 2015
27 FMR 51 - European Union readmission agreements The use of readmission agreements has prompted a debate on their compliance with international law, in particular the provisions on protection for refugees and asylum seekers. Mehdi Rais 19 Dec 2015
26 FMR 51 - A coast-guard officer’s perspective: reinforcing migration through legal channels Given that we cannot always rescue refugees or economic migrants in danger at the EU’s maritime borders, efforts are needed to reinforce legal channels for migration to Europe and to prevent refugees and migrants being exploited by criminal networks. Kostas Karagatsos 19 Dec 2015
25 FMR 51 - The extra-territorial processing of asylum claims Calls for the creation of asylum processing centres outside the EU are being renewed. But significant objections and obstacles remain. Sarah Léonard, Christian Kaunert 19 Dec 2015
24 FMR 51 - Refugees in Serbia: on the way to a better life More than 450,000 people passed through Serbia from the beginning of 2015 until the middle of November. However, even in 2014 the numbers were large, and growing. Maša Vukčević, Jelena Momirović, Danka Purić 19 Dec 2015
23 FMR 51 - Passing through Greece The eagerness of refugees and migrants to leave Greece and travel to other European countries is quite evident. Marco Mogiani 19 Dec 2015
22 FMR 51 - Bulgaria’s struggle at the frontline Bulgaria has struggled to deal appropriately with mass irregular migration. It has also failed to address integration. Eleanor E Roberts 19 Dec 2015
21 FMR 51 - Protecting asylum seekers in mixed flows: lessons from Bulgaria In the context of a large number of arrivals, states may introduce blanket measures aimed at preventing irregular migration. These, however, may curtail the rights of asylum seekers. Mariya Shisheva 19 Dec 2015
20 FMR 51 - Envisioning a Common European Asylum System A bolder approach is needed if the European Union is to overcome fragmentation and manage refugee movements effectively and in accordance with international obligations. Volker Türk 19 Dec 2015
19 FMR 51 - Are asylum and immigration really a European Union issue? Attempts to find an EU-wide solution to asylum may be preventing the finding of workable solutions at the bi-lateral or national level. Joanne van Selm 19 Dec 2015
18 FMR 51 - Social protection: a fourth durable solution? Although asylum seekers and refugees in Europe and in Latin America are very different in terms of numbers, a solution being implemented by Brazil and Ecuador may show the European Union a way forward on sharing the responsibility within a regional bloc. Carolina Montenegro 19 Dec 2015
17 FMR 51 - In search of fairness in responsibility sharing The cycle of mutual mistrust between EU Member States that prevents solidarity can only be broken if responsibility is assessed fairly on the basis of objective indicators. Philippe De Bruycker, Evangelia (Lilian) Tsourdi 19 Dec 2015
16 FMR 51 - Volunteers and asylum seekers People in communities where asylum seekers and refugees have appeared offered various forms of support to the new arrivals as states failed to provide even the essentials. Serhat Karakayali, J Olaf Kleist 19 Dec 2015
15 FMR 51 - A welcoming policy in post-socialist East Germany Apparently, East European countries are less willing to accept refugees than other European countries. Their experience of ethnic and cultural diversity is weak and a genuine welcome has still to be developed. Anna Steigemann, Frank Eckardt, Franziska Werner 19 Dec 2015
14 FMR 51 - Migration terminology matters Failure to employ correct terminology has consequences beyond semantics. More efforts are needed to educate people – especially those whose words are widely disseminated – in the correct use of migration-related terminology. Paola Pace, Kristi Severance 19 Dec 2015
13 FMR 51 - Separated and unaccompanied children in the EU A growing body of EU law, policy and practical measures address the situation of separated and unaccompanied children who arrive in the EU. Rebecca O’Donnell, Jyothi Kanics 19 Dec 2015
12 FMR 51 - Ukrainian asylum seekers and a Polish immigration paradox The recognition rate for Ukrainian asylum seekers in Poland remains at an extremely low level, with the concept of ‘internal flight alternative’ serving as the legal basis for rejection of many asylum applications. Marta Szczepanik, Ewelina Tylec 19 Dec 2015
11 FMR 51 - Removing ‘non-removables’ EU law and policy on non-removable irregular immigrants – such as unsuccessful asylum seekers who cannot be returned to their country of origin – have political and humanitarian consequences. Katharine T Weatherhead 19 Dec 2015
10 FMR 51 - Europe, don’t copy Australia Praise for Australia’s policy of turning away asylum seekers is misguided. Keeya-Lee Ayre 19 Dec 2015
9 FMR 51 - Europe and the future of international refugee policy There is new thinking – that European leaders should embrace – on how to promote long-term responses to the Syrian refugee crisis that protect and uphold human dignity. El Hassan bin Talal 19 Dec 2015
8 FMR 51 - Choice and preference in a matching market for refugees We propose a system that will at the same time give refugees choices and states control by ‘matching’ the preferences of each to the other’s. Will Jones, Alexander Teytelboym 19 Dec 2015
7 FMR 51 - Legal and practical issues raised by the movement of people across the Mediterranean States must deal with each other on a basis of equity and equality, rather than outmoded and unrealistic expectations of sovereign entitlement Guy S Goodwin-Gill 19 Dec 2015
6 FMR 51 - From Syria to Brazil Precisely because of the difficulties Syrians face in entering the EU, Brazil has opened up to them. Marília Calegari, Rosana Baeninger 19 Dec 2015
5 FMR 51 General - Economic reintegration of returnees in Liberia Since the early 2000s, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization has been implementing economic recovery programmes for returnees in certain post-conflict countries. Naohiko Omata, Noriko Takahashi 15 Dec 2015
4 FMR 51 General - Thirty years of development-induced displacement in China To accelerate the process of poverty reduction in its poorer regions, China decided in 2001 to implement a national programme of displacement of populations living in areas considered environmentally fragile. François Dubé 15 Dec 2015
3 FMR 51 General - Refugee Status Determination in Albania There are some shortcomings in Albania’s RSD despite the country’s efforts to develop its procedures in line with international standards. Xymena Dyduch 15 Dec 2015
2 FMR 51 General - The face of refugees Personal contact with refugees helps us not only to see the people behind the need but also to better understand the obstacles they face. Jesus Quintanilla Osorio 15 Dec 2015
1 FMR 51 General - Challenges to the right to work in Ecuador The right to work is important for refugees and asylum seekers – to support themselves, to facilitate local integration and to contribute to the host society. However, they often face obstacles in accessing work in host societies... Adeline Sozanski, Karina Sarmiento, Carlos Reyes 15 Dec 2015