Fortress Europe Breached: Political And Economic Impact Of The Recent Refugee Crisis On European States

The onset of the Syrian civil war, the expansion of the military influence of the Islamic State in the Middle and Near East and the ongoing conflicts in Africa has caused a significant number of refugees from the affected areas to flee towards Europe, generating a migrant crisis that has proven itself a contentious issue among European states as they struggle to find a solution to house the refugees and integrate them within the different host societies while also managing internal political debates and pacifying internal reluctance regarding the immigrants. The recent terrorist attacks in Brussels as well as various incidents associated with areas where refugees are concentrated have worsened the problem as European states fear security issues associated with the mostly Muslim population that seeks asylum within their borders. Beyond humanitarian, political and security concerns, the economic impact of the crisis upon European states has been varied. The immigrants have been seen both as blessings in disguise for the aging workforce of some European states and a potential financial burden on the economies of others in terms of social welfare costs and risks of increasing the local unemployment rates. Not only that, but the refugee problem has given way to a clash between two opposing viewpoints within the European Community: on the one hand, states who have sought to facilitate the accommodation of asylum-seekers on their territories, and on the other, states who have taken a tough approach to stem the flow of refugees within their borders and have rebuked the solutions thus far proposed by the EU. The present paper seeks to investigate the political and economic effects of refugees on host countries in Europe with a focus on the perceived division between countries that have welcomed immigrants versus those who have sought to restrict the number of refugees entering their countries.