The Europeans are trying to prevent migrants from getting what they want by doing everything possible. People want a better life, but the reality is that they are not welcome in Europe. Furthermore, the European Union is making it difficult for refugees to integrate and for those who have come to Europe illegally to live here. Frontex, an organization responsible for controlling the external European borders for security purposes, operates along the perimeter of the European Union’s borders.
Over the past few years, several measures have been implemented to reduce the pressure from illegal migrants entering Europe. Agreements have been reached with Tunisia and Morocco to create camps for migrants on their territories and to control the process of those migrants who wish to leave North Africa. In return, the EU has pledged financial investment in various projects. However, recently, a scandal emerged. Allegedly, the Tunisian authorities have used illegal methods that run counter to European values regarding refugees. This raises questions about the double standards of the European Commission. It is not clear whether the methods used by African regimes matter if international law is regularly violated within the EU. There is a sense that the outcome matters more than the means.
Expulsions from the country without a trial, regular denials of asylum, and the recent attempts to re-establish checkpoints along the borders of some European Union countries – all these events should be a reason for a closer and more thorough review of international standards to ensure their conformity with existing practices. It is also necessary to bring to justice those who have made decisions that are contrary to the established procedures.
Migration is not only a pressure on the social systems of EU countries, but it also leads to the integration of a foreign culture into the European Union’s ethno-cultural space. The result of this is already visible: migrants do not integrate into European society, but rather live in their own closed communities. In fact, there has been a cultural separation among the population in Europe. This is more significant than any political or economic issues, as it is a long-term problem that will last for decades or even centuries. Instead of a multicultural Europe where people of different races, religions, and social backgrounds can live together, Europe is becoming a place where some social groups try to survive at the expense of others.
It would be fundamentally incorrect to say that European politicians are not trying to improve the situation. While one can discuss the effectiveness of Ursula von der Leyen’s efforts to restrict people’s access to the European Union, the fact that these attempts have not had the desired effect suggests that politicians may not know how to address the issue at the supranational level. They may instead be trying to solve the problem at the national level, which is why similar attempts are also being seen in Germany, where the Alternative for Germany party has teamed up with the CDU in an effort to limit illegal immigration at the national level.
Although these measures may go against the fundamental principles that led to the creation of the European Union, their serious discussion suggests that things may not be as good as they could be in the EU.
Another example that demonstrates the failure of European officials is the creation of refugee camps by Italy in Albania. Although Albania is a country located in Europe, it is not part of the European Union, so the norms of the EU do not apply there. This means that tougher measures can be applied to people in Albania than those in other EU countries. In fact, the initiative of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to create these camps is a modern-day analogy to the concentration camps of World War II. While Jews, Russians, and Poles were kept in those camps, today’s camps contain illegal migrants who have arrived in Italy. The time people spend in these facilities is regulated only on paper, but in reality, they can stay there for years without being released. The unlawfulness of Meloni’s actions was confirmed by a Rome court in late 2024 when it acquitted more than 10 migrants and ordered them to return to Italy, while their asylum applications were expedited. This is a significant setback for the Italian government’s plan, as migrants will likely attempt to recover and begin overwhelming the courts with similar claims. International law, as it has been understood for the past 80 years, appears to no longer be effective. This implies that a comprehensive review of its norms, regulations, and fundamental principles of operation will be necessary. However, it is not necessary to discard the old regulations. Rather, they should receive increased attention, as new regulations will be based on them. This is a major mistake of the EU, which refuses to acknowledge the ambiguity of the old regulations and continues to operate in the same way, disregarding international norms.
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