E.g., 04/16/2024
E.g., 04/16/2024
Moving Europe Beyond Crisis

Moving Europe Beyond Crisis

Europe faced its worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, with more than 1 million people applying for asylum in 2015 and 2016. As the systems that were designed to manage these flows were under intense pressure—not least the Common European Asylum System (CEAS)—the international community needs new ideas to manage mixed flows and create sustainable long-term solutions for refugees. To address these knowledge gaps, MPI Europe has invested in a series of research and data reports, commentaries, data tools, and multimedia primers to shed light on ongoing policy debates and offer innovative solutions, collected on this page.

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Featured

As maritime arrivals climbed in 2015, EU policymakers struggled to mount a coordinated response. A range of ad hoc crisis-response tools emerged, but many officials worry that if another migration emergency were to hit Europe, the European Union may still be unprepared. This report traces the evolution of the EU response to the 2015–16 crisis and lays out recommendations to lock in progress and shore up weaknesses.

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Featured

Many of the structural issues that resulted in European asylum systems being stretched to the breaking point in 2015-16 remain unresolved. This report critically evaluates the legal and operational shortcomings of the Common European Asylum System at a time when reform is on the table.

Recent Activity

Event PH 2016.2.17 Demetri at Europe Migration Crisis
Multimedia
February 17, 2016
Europe’s Migration Crisis: A Status Report and the Way Forward
A local volunteer in Spain watches the children in a sponsored refugee family as they play.
Multimedia
February 8, 2016
Scaling Up Resettlement: The Role of Private Sponsorship Programmes in Addressing the Refugee Crisis
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Reports
February 2016
Getting the Balance Right: Strengthening Asylum Reception Capacity at National and EU Levels
By  Michael Kegels
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Reports
December 2015
Welcoming Engagement: How Private Sponsorship Can Strengthen Refugee Resettlement in the European Union
By  Judith Kumin
RefugeesinFYRM StephenRyanIFRC Flickr
Articles
September 24, 2015
Europe’s Migration Crisis in Context: Why Now and What Next?
By Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Susan Fratzke
SyrianGirl ADAmato UNHCR
Multimedia
September 11, 2015
The Refugee Crisis in Europe: Q&A with Demetrios Papademetriou
Commentaries
September 2015
The Asylum Crisis in Europe: Designed Dysfunction
By  Elizabeth Collett
coverthumb MPIe Townsend
Reports
May 2015
Before the Boat: Understanding the Migrant Journey
By  Jacob Townsend and Christel Oomen

Pages

Recent Activity

Video, Audio
February 17, 2016

Europe’s Migration Crisis: A Status Report and the Way Forward

MPI's Demetrios Papademetriou discusses the current policy responses to the refugee and migration crisis at EU and national levels, and possible options for dealing more effectively with the crisis and longer-term integration challenges.

Audio, Webinars
February 8, 2016

Scaling Up Resettlement: The Role of Private Sponsorship Programmes in Addressing the Refugee Crisis

Analysts discuss how private sponsorship programs for refugees, used by Canada and a handful of other countries, could alleviate some of the pressure from the European refugee crisis by allowing individuals, groups, businesses, and other entities to sponsor individual refugees for resettlement.

Reports
February 2016

Getting the Balance Right: Strengthening Asylum Reception Capacity at National and EU Levels

With arrivals of asylum seekers overwhelming the resources and institutional capacity of some European Union Member States, this report examines the reception capacity challenges faced by national reception systems. Authored by the Operational Director of Belgium's reception agency, the report offers recommendations to improve coordination across Member States in ways that could effectively better utilize existing capacity.

Reports
December 2015

Welcoming Engagement: How Private Sponsorship Can Strengthen Refugee Resettlement in the European Union

Refugee resettlement, typically thought of as a government-led activity, can also be sponsored by private individuals, groups, corporations, and other entities. This report examines the small number of private sponsorship programs that exist in Canada, Argentina, Australia, and elsewhere. It suggests that similar arrangements could enhance refugee resettlement opportunities in the European Union.

Articles
September 24, 2015

Europe’s Migration Crisis in Context: Why Now and What Next?

As Europe struggles to reach a consensus on how to respond to the refugee crisis, the seemingly unending flow of migrants and refugees arriving on its shores is bringing national asylum systems to their breaking point. This article analyzes the context of the crisis, discussing the root causes of the flows, why they are spiking now, and growing protection challenges.

Video, Expert Q&A
September 11, 2015

The Refugee Crisis in Europe: Q&A with Demetrios Papademetriou

Demetrios Papademetriou, President Emeritus of MPI and President of MPI Europe, explains the origins of the refugee crisis in Europe and discusses actions that Europe and other regions can take in the near and long term to address the flows.

Commentaries
September 2015

The Asylum Crisis in Europe: Designed Dysfunction

The ongoing chaos being seen in Southeast Europe, as countries grapple with massive inflows of asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere have laid bare the unresolved dysfunctions of incomplete European Union systems, as this commentary from MPI Europe's director explains. The proposal for relocation of 160,000 asylum seekers and other announced measures are a necessary stopgap, but far from an enduring solution.

Reports
May 2015

Before the Boat: Understanding the Migrant Journey

The limited knowledge base on migrants' decision-making and assessment of risk on the journey to Europe, as well as incomplete understanding of the organizational structures and political economies of smuggling networks, are hampering an effective response to unprecedented Mediterranean maritime crossings. This report, drawing from interviews with migrants, examines migrants’ decision-making processes, perceptions of risk, and access to information.

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