Migration and asylum

Migration and asylum have been at the top of the agenda in the EU for some time now. Thereby, the discussion is less about solving problems or addressing the suffering of people on the move, but more about preventing people from reaching European soil. This is neither good for the people seeking refuge in our continent, nor beneficial to the political debate on these issues.

The rise of Spain's far-right Vox party is exploiting fears of migrants and unaccompanied minors, but civil society is fighting back with pro-migrant legislation and efforts to preserve historical memory against Francoist nostalgia, as well as LGTBI rights.

Czech populists are on a roll, partly due to the antisocial policies of the country's right-wing government. While liberals put the blame on disinformation, the left continues to languish or to flirt with fascist ideas. And migrant-phobia has long become mainstream.  

Through the stories of eleven asylum seekers, the video series "Lost in a legal maze" by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Thessaloniki office aims to reveal the difficulties of navigating a legal system designed to fail them. In these five-minute episodes, filmed in Greece in November 2023, eleven refugees in different stages of their asylum procedures share on camera their own legal journey – from pushbacks to unjustified rejections to retroactive laws.

While the European Union is poised for alteration, it becomes important more than ever to remember why Türkiye matters for Europe’s migration challenges. The EU needs a stable Türkiye. A country in severe economic and political conditions, lacking sufficient support for refugees and migrants, perfectly illustrates the push factors that drive further migration where the EU is a near destination. A stable Türkiye benefits the EU, the population in Türkiye, and the surrounding region. This cannot be achieved with unfair policies.

The European Commission has signed a new agreement with Egypt. One of the aims is to reduce migration to Europe. But this will most likely not succeed.

The debate on migration and asylum is highly polarised in Europe. Public discourses are often based on stereotypes and fear, rather than on actual facts and figures. The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is committed to supporting transparency and an informed factual debate on migration. Independent journalism can play a key role in this context. Our studies on mainstream media reporting in the region however revealed an often-biased view on migration and people on the move. This dossier aims at offering an alternative view to readers by gathering independent investigations and analyses, supported by us, on the realities regarding migration along the so-called Balkan route.

The EU Commission, the European Parliament and EU Member States are negotiating a reform of the common asylum policy. The comprehensive reform package contains a large number of legislative proposals that would have massive consequences for asylum seekers.

In August, wildfires in Evros killed a group of people, including children, passing along a well-trodden migration route. Locals and politicians made the victims scapegoats for the disaster. First piece of our 2023 Climate Disinformation Fellowship by Giorgos Christides and Katy Fallon. Photos by Alexandros Avramidis.