Lampedusa: “A tragic but logical outcome for European politics”

Immigration expert Benjamin Schrafen answers the most important questions The current refugee crisis.

Mr. Schrafen, what do you say about the current situation in Lampedusa?

The crisis has been evident for some time. On the one hand, for some time there have been a lot more people desperately trying to overcome this situation Mediterranean to Europe Obtain. On the other hand, the European Union and other European countries are currently finding it very difficult to find solutions to this challenge. From the EU’s perspective, the EU deal with Tunisia, which was intended to slow the flow of refugees across the Mediterranean in exchange for support of more than a billion euros, has had little impact so far. The so-called asylum settlement in the European Union still needs to be implemented for a more equitable distribution of refugees. Indeed, the situation on the island of Lampedusa, as the southernmost outpost of the European Union, is a tragic but logical consequence of this.

How does Europe respond?

After the number of refugees fell significantly in 2017, the renewed increase has now made this issue a top priority for Europe again. The fact that Ursula von der Leyen visited Lampedusa on Sunday shows that the European Commission also realized the seriousness of the situation and knew that he had to be present. However, this has not yet been proven in practice. It remains to be seen whether short-term solutions can be found to the situation of people coming to Lampedusa. However, if Europe fails to act, it could lead to more horrific images from the Mediterranean.

What are the effects of the refugee crisis on Switzerland?

This will also likely lead to an increase in asylum applications in Switzerland. And I assume that Switzerland and the EU member states will always do so in the medium to long term More about border control will be set. I think it is likely that Switzerland will strengthen its cooperation with the European Union in this regard. In the long term, an end to the refugee crisis can only be achieved with a European decision.