حسین عبدالهی

The Migration Crisis and the Increase in Internal Conflicts in the European Union

Abstract

Objective The main objective of this study is to examine and analyze the conflicts arising from the ۲۰۱۵–۲۰۱۶ migration crisis in the European Union and its consequences for political solidarity, decision-making structures, shared European identity, and the legitimacy of EU institutions. The research also evaluates the internal and external solutions adopted by the European Union to determine the extent to which these measures have succeeded or failed.

Methodology This study is applied in purpose and descriptive-analytical in methodology, falling within the category of qualitative research. Data were collected through a library-based approach, drawing on credible printed and online sources. Data analysis was conducted using a comparative approach, employing the theoretical frameworks of securitization (Copenhagen School) and limited solidarity (Rainer Baub?ck) to interpret conflicts and policy responses. The temporal scope primarily focuses on the period from ۲۰۱۵ to early ۲۰۲۶, with special emphasis on the ۲۰۱۵–۲۰۱۶ migration crisis and the EU's response to the Ukraine crisis (۲۰۲۲–۲۰۲۵) as key comparative cases.

Findings The ۲۰۱۵–۲۰۱۶ migration crisis exposed severe inefficiencies in the Common European Asylum System and the Dublin Regulation, while deepening the East–West divide. The Visegr?d Group (Poland, Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia) prioritized national sovereignty by rejecting mandatory quotas, constructing border walls, and disregarding rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union. In contrast, Western countries such as Germany and Sweden adopted more open reception policies. Securitization transformed migration from a humanitarian issue into a security threat, justifying exceptional measures such as pushbacks and border militarization. Moreover, contradictory measures were applied toward Ukrainian refugees on the one hand and Syrian/Middle Eastern refugees on the other. External solutions significantly reduced irregular entries but at the high human cost of thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean, the creation of inhumane detention camps, and increased diplomatic dependence on third countries. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum of ۲۰۲۴ introduced mechanisms for mandatory solidarity (or financial compensation), rapid border screening, and enhanced Eurodac, taking steps toward shared responsibility; however, persistent resistance from the Visegr?d Group and uneven implementation up to early ۲۰۲۶ highlight the fragility and partial failure of these solutions.

Conclusion The ۲۰۱۵–۲۰۱۶ migration crisis represented one of the greatest challenges in contemporary European Union history—not merely a humanitarian crisis, but a profound test of the sustainability of the European integration project. It laid bare structural inefficiencies in the asylum system, ideological divisions between East and West, and the limits of European solidarity. Securitization of migration and double standards in responses to different crises (Syria versus Ukraine) severely undermined the EU's fundamental human rights values and ethical legitimacy. While the adopted measures have achieved partial success in reducing irregular entries, they have remained largely reactive, fragile, and highly costly in human and ethical terms. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum of ۲۰۲۴ and external cooperation have failed to sustainably resolve the underlying political, institutional, cultural, and legal conflicts, continuing to face national resistance, uneven implementation, and ongoing human rights violations.