Needless to say, the 2015 European refugee crisis dominated the news.
The crisis was characterised by a rising number of people heading to Europe from across the Mediterranean from various countries in Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.
However, as such issues go, it had been a long term problem that began in the latter part of the 20th century. It wasn't until the number of arrivals reached the millions that the world began to pay attention.
Furthermore, news stories such as that of Aylan Kurdi, a three-year old Syrian boy who washed up on the beach in Turkey, struck the hearts of Europe's politicians and everyday people.
By the time Aylan’s body washed ashore, more than 300,000 people had risked their lives to reach Europe. Over 2,600 had perished in the attempt.
Backlash
Controversy was raised between Europe's political elite and the European people. In fact, the majority of EU countries disapproved, with 94% of Greeks and 88% of Swedes unhappy with the measures taken in 2016. Similar numbers were apparent throughout the European Union.
The semantics of the issue also played a part. The crisis was labelled as a migrant crisis by many EU leaders and the media, but it really was not.
Migrants choose to leave their homes in search of education, employment opportunities and healthcare. Refugees, quoting the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, are "persons fleeing armed conflict and persecution. These are people for whom the denial of asylum may have deadly consequences."
The 1951 UN Refugee Convention saw refugees given inalienable rights under international law. These include the right not to be returned to a refugee's country of origin and the right not to be penalised for entering a country illegally if they request asylum.
Still, with millions attempting to land, the influx was far too much for the EU and UN to fund and deal with properly, leading to such poor attitudes from European people.
What is the current state of Europe's refugee crisis?
Well, after four years, tensions among EU states remain high.
Countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece have felt the majority of the blunder because of geographical placement on the Mediterranean. On top of this, EU law has it that asylum seekers must lodge their application in the first country they arrive in.
Many southern "frontline" states (Italy, Greece, and Spain) are taking the influx and the political tensions between EU nations come from refugees illegally heading to richer, northern destination states (France, Germany and Norway).
In some cases, tensions have bubbled into violence. In January 2018, three Nigerian migrants were arrested in Macerata, Italy, in suspicion of the murder of 18 year old Pamela Mastropietro. In response, Italian-nationalist Luca Traini went on a shooting spree, allegedly aiming for anyone who didn't look Italian.
Spain and Italy feeling the full force of the refugee crisis magnifies overhanging right-wing shadows still embedded in their fascist histories. The nationalist League has formed a coalition government in Italy, and right-wing party Vox entered the Spanish elections for the first time with more than 10% of the vote.
Yet, they are not alone in this. The right-wing has seen a formidable growth since the refugee crisis.
A New Horizon?
Many who fled conflict or oppression are anticipating a restoration of normality soon. According to the UN, 250,000 refugees could return to Syria in 2019-20. Additionally, many refugees who fled Sudan will be eagerly awaiting the installation of it's civilian-led transitional government after the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
Perhaps there is a new horizon for some people who have fled oppression and conflict, however it is certainly not the case for all.
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