Marcus Engler is a social scientist at the DeZIM Institute. His research focus is on flight and migration and European and global refugee and migration policy.
For months, many cities and municipalities have been facing enormous challenges in taking in people seeking protection from Ukraine and other countries. District administrators are sounding the alarm, in some places there are protests among the population, and even attacks on refugee accommodation are increasing again.
Against this background, some call for a recording stop: Refugees should no longer be accepted in Germany but in other countries – preferably outside of Europe.
Three proposals are regularly put forward: First, more people should be deported. Secondly, the protection of the external borders should be strengthened. Thirdly, asylum procedures should be outsourced to other countries and more refugees should be admitted there, while humanitarian admission programs should be stopped.
Migration agreement as a new magic formula
In order to implement this, migration agreements are considered the new magic formula. In February, the federal government appointed Joachim Stamp (FDP) for the first time as a special representative to negotiate such agreements.
Europe triggers a humanitarian downward spiral and puts itself in a bad negotiating position.
Marcus Englersocial scientist at the DeZIM Institute
Like Germany, most European governments have only limited willingness to take in refugees from different regions of the world. On the other hand, Europe expects its neighboring countries to integrate large numbers of them into their societies or at least to take care of them.
They should also prevent their own citizens from coming to Europe unsolicited and take back those who have come to the EU. In return, the European Union offers financial aid and other forms of support.
Such agreements with neighboring countries of the EU have long been part of European migration foreign policy. They are a central element in the EU’s “New Pact on Migration and Asylum”, which was presented in September 2020 and has since formed the framework for migration policy.
Case studies: Türkiye and Tunisia
Below we take a brief exemplary look at two countries in which we have conducted research and which play an important role in the debate: Turkey and Tunisia. Both are important partner states in European politics not only because they are located on important migration routes, but also because until recently they could still be considered relatively stable.
Developing and emerging countries have far fewer resources than Europe to be able to take in refugees.
There has been a comprehensive agreement with Turkey since 2016. But little of this has been implemented. In short, the EU is financially supporting Turkey to care for more than three million Syrian refugees there.
In return, Turkey takes in the refugees and uses border controls to ensure that only a few travel further into the EU. In addition, the EU countries – and above all Germany – are taking in some refugees from Turkey via a humanitarian admission program. Often praised as a model for success or a blueprint for other states, this deal has its downsides.
Turkey deports thousands to Afghanistan
The presence of the many refugees has led to considerable conflicts in Turkey for years. Several parties blame refugees for the deep political and economic crisis. Violent attacks and even murders occur again and again.
In the current election campaign, the parties are outdoing each other in promising how quickly they want to return the refugees to Syria, regardless of the security situation there. The situation of the Afghans is even worse: they are no longer even registered and are deported to Afghanistan in their thousands.
The serious violations of the law by the Greek authorities are being observed very closely in Turkey. As a result, all appeals by European governments to Turkey to respect human rights have lost their credibility.
Marcus Engler,social scientist
On the borders with Syria and Iran, Turkey has built walls based on the European model to ward off further refugees. Many people have died there. President Erdogan’s threats to send refugees to Europe are also the result of a responsibility-sharing with the EU that is perceived as very unfair.
Representatives of civil society and UN organizations also see it that way. After the fall of Kabul, the Turkish government unequivocally rejected calls by European politicians for Afghan refugees to find shelter on Turkish territory.
Turkey has been taking in the most refugees in the world for years. Europe should therefore give Turkey even more support in taking in refugees, with more money and more offers to take them in from there. But that doesn’t happen.
A reception center for Syrian refugees near the Turkish city of Gaziantep in 2014.
Instead, the situation there is constantly deteriorating for refugees as well as for Turkish citizens, who have a different political stance than the government. Human rights organizations have therefore doubted for years that Turkey is a safe country.
The serious rights violations by the Greek authorities, including regular pushbacks of refugees, are being observed very closely by Turkish politicians and the public. As a result, all appeals by European governments to Turkey to respect human rights have lost their credibility.
Racist conspiracy theories
Tunisia, on the other hand, is still seen by many as an up-and-coming democracy. CDU politician Jens Spahn and migration researcher Ruud Koopmans believe that people seeking protection who have been apprehended in the Mediterranean or on EU coasts can be returned there with a clear conscience, and Europe can even carry out its asylum procedures there. Ideas like this have been around for decades.
However, they were not implemented due to legal concerns, and the Tunisian government – like all other requested proposals – has not yet been prepared to do so. She fears that her country could then attract even more refugees and migrants. In addition, cooperation with Europe in fighting off refugees is anything but popular.
Because of the political and economic crisis, thousands of young Tunisians leave the country every year. Europe accepts the better educated as skilled workers. The others risk their lives crossing to Europe. Many are deported immediately.
Europe accepts the better educated as skilled workers. The others risk their lives crossing to Europe.
Marcus Engler
President Kais Saied has dissolved parliament and arrested many members of the opposition; he is only supported by a minority. Anyone who still suggests carrying out asylum procedures in Tunisia has missed the country’s recent developments. The country’s democratization process after the “Arab Spring” is over for the time being.
The refugees and migrants from other countries stranded in Tunisia are even worse off. Hundreds of them have been demonstrating for months in front of UNHCR buildings for months, demanding to be resettled to Europe or North America.
Hardly a decent life
Despite their refugee status, they can hardly lead a decent life in Tunisia. They cannot find reliable jobs and often experience racism.
In Tunisia, refugees hardly experience a decent life.
In February, Tunisia’s President Said himself spread racist conspiracy theories. An exchange of the Tunisian population is being organized, people with black skin – including Tunisian citizens – have feared for their lives since then. One more reason to flee to Europe.
Things are no better in other countries, which are often cited as alternatives for taking in refugees from Europe. The British deal with Rwanda has not yet been implemented for legal reasons. For cost reasons, too, this model will not result in fewer refugees coming to Europe. The often quoted Australian model is also considered a failure by experts.
Europe is gambling away its credibility
There is no getting around the fact that Europe cannot and must not outsource its responsibility for refugees. Contrary to what many believe, most of the refugees worldwide do not live in Europe, but in developing or emerging countries. The admission of several million refugees from Ukraine to the EU has not changed that.
Most refugees worldwide do not live in Europe, but in developing or emerging countries.
Marcus Engler
However, Europe has many more resources than poorer countries. It must therefore give these states much more support when they take in refugees and help them integrate these people into their societies and give them access to education, work and housing.
However, Europe should also take in significantly more refugees through secure admission programs than has been the case up to now. This was agreed at the end of 2018 in the “Global Refugee Pact”. Europe should build on this. The second World Refugee Forum will be held in December to review the implementation of the Pact.
With the brutal defense regime at its external borders, however, Europe is forfeiting any credibility on the subject of human rights, triggering a humanitarian downward spiral and putting itself in a bad negotiating position when it comes to sharing responsibility for refugees with other countries.
The continuation of these policies not only leads to more suffering and deaths, but also to political instability in which Europe cannot have any interest.
