scholarly journals TACLING IRREGULAR MIGRATION IN EUROPE

Author(s):  
Miklós Böröcz

Povzetek Nezakonite migracije predstavljajo varnostno tveganje za Evropsko unijo, a se s tveganji zunaj Evrope ne moremo učinkovito spopasti brez izgradnje zmogljivosti na mednarodni ravni. Zaradi tega lahko to področje umestimo v okvir SZVP. To stališče so potrdili tudi val nezakonitih priseljencev, ki je Evropo dosegel leta 2015, ter tveganja in posledice nepripravljenosti držav na ravni zagotavljanja nacionalne varnosti. V študiji predstavljamo tri glavne poti nezakonitih migracij, ki so prizadele Evropo. Predstavljene so tudi države, ki so jih priseljenci prečkali ter ukrepi organov EU. V zaključku članka so predlagane morebitne rešitve za nastalo stanje. Ključne besede nezakonite migracije, varnostno tveganje, vzhodnosredozemska pot migracij, osrednjesredozemska pot migracij, zahodnosredozemska pot migracij. Abstract Irregular migration is a security risk for the EU. This risk from outside Europe cannot be dealt with effectively without capacity building at foreign interfaces, so it could be assessed as an area of the former CFSP. This position was supported by the influx of irregular migrants that reached Europe in 2015, and the risks and consequences of unpreparedness for national security. This study presents the three main routes for irregular migrants which affect Europe, the countries they pass through, and the actions of EU bodies. In addition to the discussion, later in the article potential solutions to the issue will be formulated. Key words irregular migration, security risk, Eastern Mediterranean migration route, Central Mediterranean migration route, Western Mediterranean migration route.

2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (1–2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariann Vecsey

For a long time, the Central Mediterranean migration route was the most popular among those which went to the European Union from Africa. However, data from 2018 show that the trend is about to turn, and the Western Mediterranean route to Spain is about to become the most popular. Changes in Italy, the entering point to Europe presumably means changes in the African internal routes as well. This article intends to track the reasons which could affect the migratory pattern to the EU. The research focuses on the condition changes along the Central Mediterranean route, from Italy, to Mali. The article aims to sum up both the political and security domains, including the CSDP missions and operation from the southern border of the EU to the heart of West Africa.


Author(s):  
N. N. Bolshova

The paper reviews the current EU policy on irregular migration under the influence of refugee crisis. This crisis urged the EU to streamline and consolidate all the available legal, political and administrative tools to reach the synergy effect in the management of immigration flows into the EU. However the main weakness of the EU approach appears to be the dependence on the opportunities and interests of the third countries (of origin and transit of irregular migrants) to cooperate effectively with the EU institutions and Member-states in such key spheres as fight against migrant smuggling, security of external borders, implementation of readmission agreements, asylum policy. The author evaluates the state of progress on the main Mediterranean migration routes since the beginning of the migration crisis in 2014, analyses some recent EU initiatives, particularly the EU NAVFOR MED Operation Sophia and the new Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration. In conclusion, the author attempts to assess the effects of these actions.


Significance The Central Mediterranean route, used by half of all irregular migrants to the EU in 2016, now accounts for only 9% of irregular travel to the EU. Meanwhile, the pace of arrivals via the Eastern Mediterranean (overland and by sea) surged in mid-2019, making Greece the first point of EU entry, with 59% of arrivals. Impacts The EU is in early-stage efforts to end detention centres in Libya because of the backlash over human-rights abuses. More arrivals at Malta and Cyprus are indicative of the adaptability of people smugglers. The EU will struggle to address deep divides among member states about reform of the asylum system.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 261-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Royden ◽  
Claudio Faccenna

The Late Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Mediterranean region, which is sandwiched between the converging African and European continents, is dominated by the process of subduction orogeny. Subduction orogeny occurs where localized subduction, driven by negative slab buoyancy, is more rapid than the convergence rate of the bounding plates; it is commonly developed in zones of early or incomplete continental collision. Subduction orogens can be distinguished from collisional orogens on the basis of driving mechanism, tectonic setting, and geologic expression. Three distinct Late Cenozoic subduction orogens can be identified in the Mediterranean region, making up the Western Mediterranean (Apennine, external Betic, Maghebride, Rif), Central Mediterranean (Carpathian), and Eastern Mediterranean (southern Dinaride, external Hellenide, external Tauride) Arcs. The Late Cenozoic evolution of these orogens, described in this article, is best understood in light of the processes that govern subduction orogeny and depends strongly on the buoyancy of the locally subducting lithosphere; it is thus strongly related to paleogeography. Because the slow (4–10 mm/yr) convergence rate between Africa and Eurasia has preserved the early collisional environment, and associated tectonism, for tens of millions of years, the Mediterranean region provides an excellent opportunity to elucidate the dynamic and kinematic processes of subduction orogeny and to better understand how these processes operate in other orogenic systems.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 827-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Le Moal ◽  
H. Collin ◽  
I. C. Biegala

Abstract. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most oligotrophic marine areas on earth where nitrogen fixation has formally believed to play an important role in carbon and nitrogen fluxes. Although this view is under debate, the diazotrophs responsible for this activity have still not been investigated in the open sea. In this study, we characterised the surface distribution and species richness of unicellular and filamentous diazotrophs across the Mediterranean Sea by combining microscopic counts with size fractionated in situ hybridization (TSA-FISH), and 16S rDNA and nifH genes phylogenies. These genetic analyses were possible owing to the development of a new PCR protocol adapted to scarce microorganisms that can detect as few as 1 cell ml−1 in cultures. Low concentrations of diazotrophic cyanobacteria were detected and this community was dominated at 99.9% by picoplankton hybridized to the Nitro821 probe, specific for unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria (UCYN). Among filamentous cyanobacteria only 0.02 filament ml−1 of Richelia were detected in the eastern basin, while small (0.7–1.5 μm) and large (2.5–3.2 μm) Nitro821-targeted cells were recovered at all stations with a mean concentration of 3.5 cell ml−1. The affiliation of the small Nitro821-targeted cells to UCYN-A was confirmed by 16S and nifH phylogenies in the western Mediterranean Sea. In the central and the eastern Mediterranean Sea no 16S rDNA and nifH sequence from UCYN was obtained as cells concentration were close to, or below PCR detection limit. Bradyrhizobium sequences dominated nifH clone libraries from picoplanktonic size fractions. A few sequences of γ-proteobacteria were also detected in the central Mediterranean Sea. While low phosphate and iron concentrations could explain the absence of Trichodesmium sp., the factors that prevent the development of UCYN-B and C remain unknown. We also propose that the dominating picoplankters probably developed specific strategies, such as associations with protists or particles, and/or photosynthetic activity, to acquire carbon for sustaining diazotrophy.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Α. ZENETOS ◽  
S. GOFAS ◽  
C. MORRI ◽  
A. ROSSO ◽  
D. VIOLANTI ◽  
...  

More than 60 marine non-indigenous species (NIS) have been removed from previous lists and 84 species have been added, bringing the total to 986 alien species in the Mediterranean [775 in the eastern Mediterranean (EMED), 249 in the central Mediterranean (CMED), 190 in the Adriatic Sea (ADRIA) and 308 in the western Mediterranean (WMED)]. There were 48 new entries since 2011 which can be interpreted as approximately one new entry every two weeks. The number of alien species continues to increase, by 2-3 species per year for macrophytes, molluscs and polychaetes, 3-4 species per year for crustaceans, and 6 species per year for fish. The dominant group among alien species is molluscs (with 215 species), followed by crustaceans (159) and polychaetes (132). Macrophytes are the leading group of NIS in the ADRIA and the WMED, reaching 26-30% of all aliens, whereas in the EMED they barely constitute 10% of the introductions. In the EMED, molluscs are the most species-rich group, followed by crustaceans, fish and polychaetes. More than half (54%) of the marine alien species in the Mediterranean were probably introduced by corridors (mainly Suez). Shipping is blamed directly for the introduction of only 12 species, whereas it is assumed to be the most likely pathway of introduction (via ballasts or fouling) of another 300 species. For approximately 100 species shipping is a probable pathway along with the Suez Canal and/or aquaculture. Approximately 20 species have been introduced with certainty via aquaculture, while >50 species (mostly macroalgae), occurring in the vicinity of oyster farms, are assumed to be introduced accidentally as contaminants of imported species. A total of 18 species are assumed to have been introduced by the aquarium trade. Lessepsian species decline westwards, while the reverse pattern is evident for ship-mediated species and for those introduced with aquaculture. There is an increasing trend in new introductions via the Suez Canal and via shipping.


2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. ZENETOS ◽  
S. GOFAS ◽  
M. VERLAQUE ◽  
M.E. CINAR ◽  
J.E. GARCIA RASO ◽  
...  

The state-of-art on alien species in the Mediterranean Sea is presented, making distinctions among the four subregions defined in the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive: (i) the Western Mediterranean Sea (WMED); (ii) the Central Mediterranean Sea (CMED); (iii) the Adriatic Sea (ADRIA); and (iv) the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMED). The updated checklist (December 2010) of marine alien species within each subregion, along with their acclimatization status and origin, is provided. A total of 955 alien species is known in the Mediterranean, the vast majority of them having being introduced in the EMED (718), less in the WMED (328) and CMED (267) and least in the Adriatic (171). Of these, 535 species (56%) are established in at least one area.Despite the collective effort of experts who attempted in this work, the number of introduced species remains probably underestimated. Excluding microalgae, for which knowledge is still insufficient, aliens have increased the total species richness of the Mediterranean Sea by 5.9%. This figure should not be directly read as an indication of higher biodiversity, as spreading of so many aliens within the basin is possibly causing biotic homogenization. Thermophilic species, i.e. Indo-Pacific, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Tropical Atlantic, Tropical Pacific, and circum(sub)tropical, account for 88.4% of the introduced species in the EMED, 72.8% in the CMED, 59.3% in the WMED and 56.1% in the Adriatic. Cold water species, i.e. circumboreal, N Atlantic, and N Pacific, make up a small percentage of the introduced species, ranging between 4.2% and 21.6% and being more numerous in the Adriatic and less so in the EMED.Species that are classified as invasive or potentially invasive are 134 in the whole of the Mediterranean: 108 are present in the EMED, 76 in the CMED, 53 in the Adriatic and 64 in the WMED. The WMED hosts most invasive macrophytes, whereas the EMED has the lion’s share in polychaetes, crustaceans, molluscs and fish.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 638-649
Author(s):  
Patrick Agyare

This paper examines the human rights situation of irregular migrants on the Central Mediterranean. For this, it investigates the content and nature of the challenges involved in this migratory phenomenon. The studies conducted on this theme led to the existence of political, legal, and institutional challenges related to the protection of fundamental rights of irregular migrants who undertake unsafe crossing of the Mediterranean to the EU. In this context, it seemed useful to question the capacity of existing norms to grasp the nuances of a constantly changing reality that puts pressure on individuals, states, and international organizations set up to protect them. It further highlights worrying trends of shipwrecks, with over one thousand deaths recorded in the first seven months of 2021, a number that could well underestimate the true number of fatal accidents. At the same time, the security of Europe’s Southern Borders must be respected in the face of unauthorized crossing of the Mediterranean. However, the obstacle to the rescue activities of NGOs, as well as decisions that delay the disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea, does not guarantee the minimum reverence for fundamental rights. This paper aims, therefore, to highlight the dangers inherent in unsafe practices of trafficking or transport of irregular migrants by sea. It further draws attention to both state and non-state actors to respect the fundamental rights of irregular migrants and to save lives at sea. Conversely, the fragmentation of international instruments amid the absence of a sovereign enforcing body can be seen as a limitation constraining the effectiveness of the fundamental rights of the migrants.


European View ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgos Koumoutsakos

Migration is a major issue, not only for Europe but for the whole world, and it will remain so for years to come. It is a phenomenon caused by a number of factors and one that is beyond the capacities of a single state to tackle. Rather it requires solidarity and joint efforts to handle it. This article focuses on the migration/refugee issue in Europe, particularly from the perspective of Greece. It provides an overview of the efforts of Greece and the EU to address the challenge of irregular migration and the flow of refugees in the Eastern Mediterranean.


Author(s):  
F. Domènech ◽  
F.J. Badillo ◽  
J. Tomás ◽  
J.A. Raga ◽  
F.J. Aznar

This study reports for the first time on the whole epibiont fauna of loggerhead marine turtles,Caretta caretta, in the western Mediterranean, analysing the factors that account for the predictability and composition of the assemblage. A total of 104 loggerhead turtles stranded along the coasts of eastern Spain during 1995–2006 were surveyed for epibionts. A total of 39 epibiont taxa were identified, three of them being new records for loggerhead turtles:Bittiumsp.,Idotea metallicaandJassasp. The assemblage was composed of a group of 27 facultative taxa that use turtles as any inanimate buoyant substrate, and 12 taxa that have developed more specific associations to marine turtles, including six species that occur in marine turtles exclusively, two that dwell also on other hosts, and four that can also survive as free-living forms but have developed a strong association with marine turtles. Hierarchical clustering and Similarity Profile Analysis based on the occurrence of 166 epibiont taxa from nine available surveys indicated that the epibiont assemblages from loggerhead turtles in the western Mediterranean (WM) are similar to those from Central Mediterranean (CM), but significantly different from turtles surveyed in the eastern Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The subset of epibionts occurring on WM and CM turtles is defined by a combination of geographic factors (exclusive Mediterranean epibiont taxa) and ecological factors (relative absence of littoral-benthic taxa). Loggerhead turtles from WM and CM apparently exploit both pelagic and benthic habitats in similar fashion, representing a homogeneous unit for epibiont recruitment.


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