The challenge for Europe : creating a more balanced asylum system

Laurent MUSCHEL Director for Migration and Protection, Schengen Area, DG HOME (Brussels) [vc_btn title= »Download article » style= »outline » color= »primary » align= »right » i_icon_fontawesome= »fa fa-file-pdf-o » add_icon= »true » link= »url:http%3A%2F%2Fconfrontations.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F10%2FInterface-108-Proceedings-of-the-conference-Refugees-p4-5.pdf||target:%20_blank| »] The migration issue is complex. The stakes – in terms of both human lives and numbers – are extremely high. There is often a dichotomy between individual people facing tragedies, and the figures. Let’s start with the figures, which are the European Union’s technocratic response as it were. They show that the crisis is largely behind us; however, that is not necessarily what politicians are telling us. Since the EU-Turkey agreement in March 2016 and the closure of the Balkan route, the number of people arriving on the Greek islands has averaged between 50 and 60 a day. In October 2015, there were 10,000 new arrivals every day. Last year, the numbers travelling from Turkey to Greece fell by 79% compared with 2015. On the other hand, the