Political pundits keep repeating,
since the massive arrival of immigrants and refugees in 2015, that the European
Union has no unified policy on the matter. And it is true, in so many ways. Mass
immigration and refugee flows are issues that have a serious impact on the
stability and moderation of the EU. But there is no overall agreement among the
member States on how to deal with the issues. The approach has been to sweep it
under the carpet and let the frontline countries manage the challenge. That’s
what has happened with Italy and Greece, among others. They were left alone
with the problems and no real EU support.
What’s happening now at the
Greek-Turkish border adds another element to such approach. Close the border
crossings, respond by deploying large numbers of police and soldiers, keep the
immigrants on the other side of the barbed wire. That is the policy, a policy
that is closer to a common one. A no-entry policy.
But is it sustainable? That’s one of the
key questions. The other one is about the humanity of such policy. Is it
coherent with the values we say we defend? Third point: can we rely of
dictators and other strong men, when we ask them to keep the refugees in their
countries and add to that a few billions to pay for the camps?
I recognise this is a complex matter.
And I see, once again, that when the issue is complicated, we tend to use a
hammer to sort it out.
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