Conference Paper · March 023 citations reads 163 authors

 
Key words:
Europe, refugee crisis, energy, challenge
 
 
The EU has noticeably occurred as a success story and as a mainspring of European constancy and 
welfare. Recently, the EU is encountering a series of political and economic challenges, involving slow 
development and continual high rate of unemployment in most EU members, as well as the uptrend of 
nationalist parties that assert anti –EU, and also anti-immigrant remarks. These kinds of factors are influencing 
the EU’s capability to grapple with internal and external problems.
“Mamma li Refugees”. 
UN’s reports demonstrated that more than a million refugees have flooded 
into Europe in the last year, and a large number of migrants were from the most refugee-producing states. 
Greece was the main destination of the arrival and transit for individuals, even though Italy has witnessed a 
large number of arrivals of refugees. Migrants in uncontrollable numbers challenged the capability of the 
countries where refugees most wish to settle. The influx of a larger number of refugees threatens the existence 
of the EU’s phenomenal success: The Schengen rules that facilitate people’s movement across most of the 
internal borders of Europe. 
The crisis caused a profound cleavage within Europe. Frontline countries Italy and Greece and main 
destination states stated alarm at a lack of European solidarity, whilst others condemned bounteous asylum 
policies of Germany and Sweden and described these policies as triggering factors of refugee influx. 
Furthermore, efforts to create redistribution and resettlement programs were exceedingly contentious. 
European Commission migrant agenda consists of two subjects. First of all, the EU states to volunteer to accept 
twenty thousand asylum seekers who have not forsaken North Africa for Europe. Additionally, EU states admit 
a compulsory quota system, based on GDP, unemployment, population- to redistribute forty thousand asylum 
seekers who arrived by boat to the EU. 
Nevertheless, Central and Eastern European states are especially vociferous opponents, scaring that 
newly arrived refugees that most of them are Muslim, could change the mainly Christian identities of these 
states. Also, readmission agreement with Turkey remains contentious and likely fragile. Despite EU leaders 
ensuring that for preventing smuggling and saving lives the return measures agreed on Turkey are pivotal, 
most of the deputies of the European Parliament and human right activists are concerned that the deal 
contravenes human rights law. One of the controversial points related to the refugee crisis is the integration 
of refugees into European society. Such apprehensions became visible when some reports pointed out that 
sexual assaults and criminal activities professedly committed by asylum seekers and many of the terrorist 
attacks were carried out by Muslim background extremists. Simultaneously, anxieties exist regarding growing 
societal tensions and xenophobia in Europe. One main point always discarded by European politicians in 
migration issues. These terrorists are not refugees, they were born and grew up in Europe, they studied in the 
European schools, they knew the European cultural and societal identities, and they have European background 
friends. Instead of focusing on and eradicating the causes that radicalize these young people, usually, 
politicians use this topic against the refugee issue and lead to the rising of Islamophobia in Europe.