Impact of the European Refugee Crisis on the protection of human rights of asylum-seekers and refugees in Europe
Impact of the European Refugee Crisis on the protection of human rights of asylum-seekers and refugees in Europe

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims to analyse the main characteristics of the ‘European migrant crisis’ which was labelled as an extraordinary event in Europe`s modern history. At the same time, the paper focuses more on asylum seekers and refugees and less on the entire ‘migrants’ category, although European member states have specific duties to protect the rights of any person within their borders. Nevertheless, refugees enjoy a wider set of rights as they do not have the same guarantees in their country of origin. Thus, their safety should be of main concern, their protection being provided by a series of international documents. The signatory states to these documents have a moral obligation and especially a legal obligation to respect them. As such, this article analyses if Europe has fully maintained its obligations towards asylum seekers and refugees, even in a moot situation such as the one of a crisis. The paper focuses on the human rights system, with a special emphasis on the rights of refugees and the protection system in Europe. It analyses main figures and events of the crisis, along with the immediate reaction of the media, public opinion and European governments. The paper aims to provide an academic research focused on identifying variations in the protection of newly arrived migrants in European countries, starting from 2015. The methodology is based on a critical evaluation of the controversial measures adopted by the European Union and national governments as an answer to the rising pressure of migration flows, both at the external and internal borders. The research also examines various breaches of human rights in EU member states.

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