51吃瓜

As the conflicts in Syria and Iraq continue into 2016, the refugee crisis is the responsibility of the entire international community.

Background

The sight of shabby boats packed to the brim with refugees fleeing war-torn countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan was a prevalent image for the year 2015.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), entered Europe last year, with over from Turkey to Greece鈥攈alf of them Syrian. The figures for 2014 were 280,000 detected migrants, and 570,000 asylum applications.

What is far more troubling than this exodus is the numbers of those who do not make it to Europe鈥檚 shores. Just in the first quarter of 2015, the death toll was far over 1,500, compared with 96 during the first four months of 2014. The IOM estimates that last year.

For a long time, member states of the European Union (EU) have looked to Germany to solve the issue. In September, Hungarian stated: 鈥淭he problem is not a European problem, the problem is a German problem.鈥� Indeed, Germany is the most sought-after destination among the refugees. The country was expected to take in at least in 2015 alone, while reports on December 30 said Germany had seen enter the country.

Applying for is a lengthy and complex process. Protected under international law, the system sets standards and procedures for processing and assessing asylum applications, and for the treatment of both asylum seekers and those who are granted refugee status. Once they claim refugee status, they cannot be returned to the home country against their will.

According to the Asylum Quarterly Report conducted by Eurostat, the applicants in April 2015鈥攆rom around 35,000 in 2014 to 55,000 in 2015鈥攔eaching 90,000 by June. Germany has 38% of these applicants; Hungary and Austria are the next highest; and Italy, France, and Sweden account for around 7%.

The reason Germany is the most sought after country for Syrians is because it affords , whereby refugees are allowed to claim asylum in Germany even if they arrive at another EU country first. Migrants coming from 鈥渟afe countries of origin,鈥� like Serbia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are deported within a year.

鈥淯kraine, the Greek question and the migrant issue show how powerful Germany has become in Europe against its own will, how central the German government is to solve these big European questions,鈥� said , of the German magazine Der Spiegel. 鈥淚 think the chancellor is not particularly happy about that role and would prefer others to collaborate or take the lead.鈥�

Indeed, over are reportedly worried about refugees arriving in the country. But it is not difficult to see why Germany holds the appeal: Anti-immigrant鈥攑articularly anti-Muslim鈥攆eeling is high in eastern Europe, with countries like and Hungary only willing to accept . Poland鈥檚 foreign minister, , went a step further to suggest Syrian refugees鈥攚ho comprise around 鈥攕hould form an army to 鈥渓iberate their country.鈥�

Similarly, across the Atlantic, despite President Barack Obama announcing that will be allowed to resettle in the United States in 2016鈥攃ompared to just over 鈥攎ore than half of state governors oppose the measure.

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The Paris attacks on November 13, 2015, have only exacerbated fears of Islamist extremists using the refugee crisis as an easy avenue into the West, raising questions of not only immediate border security, but assimilation policies and radicalization prevention.

Why does the EU Migrant Crisis matter?

Much of the contention regarding lies in the inability of EU member states to develop a central policy on asylum. Many EU countries have yet to properly implement any standards set previously. For example, under the Dublin Regulation, the union requires that each asylum claim be reached by the asylum seeker. Given that the main ports of arrival, like Greece, have been hit hardest by the economic crisis, a new system will need to be implemented in order to deal with the unprecedented numbers that have so far resulted in the regulation to be altogether.

The United Nations on European states to guarantee relocation for refugees. In September, EU ministers agreed to relieve the burden on frontline countries by redistributing a further 160,000 refugees, with due to take in the bulk. According to data released by the in November, fewer than so far, with 116 people actually relocated.

With the overwhelming majority of the crisis still shouldered by Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt鈥攚ho together house over from Syria鈥攖he world urgently needs to develop a better response to the crisis. On November 29, the EU struck a to stem the flow of refugees entering Europe.

As international airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq take on a new ferocity following the attacks in Paris and the downing of a Russian passenger plane over Egypt, the cycle of violence affecting the civilian population only intensifies. Certainly, this cannot be just 鈥淕ermany鈥檚 problem,鈥� but one that rests on the shoulders of the international community, whose past policies in places like Iraq and Afghanistan have largely precipitated the current situation in the first place.

The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.

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