In recent years, the rising number of asylum seekers entering the European Union through countries such as Italy and Greece has generated friction among member states, fueled criticism of the Schengen Agreement and contributed to the growing popularity of nationalist parties.
Between January and April, more than 1,750 migrants died in shipwrecks at sea, a death toll 30 times higher than that during the same period in 2014.
Recent terrorist attacks in countries such as France and Belgium, as well as threats from Islamist groups in places such as the Vatican, have also reignited fears of a potential connection between refugees and terrorism and fueled demands for new EU measures.
After an April 23 emergency summit, EU leaders decided to triple the financial resources for the bloc's operations in the Mediterranean Sea and to boost cooperation with certain countries, including Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Mali and Niger, to better control borders and to combat human trafficking.
The crises in Libya, Iraq and Syria, as well as the persistent violence in sub-Saharan Africa, have led to more people entering the European Union by sea. Human smugglers are taking advantage of the political turmoil in Libya to use the country as a launchpad for ocean crossings.
The flow of asylum seekers from Southern to Northern Europe is facilitated by the Schengen Agreement, which eliminates border controls within Europe. Once a person has entered the Schengen area, he or she can move across the Continent without encountering significant barriers. This agreement is the source of Northern European countries' concerns about the lack of efficient border controls in the European Union's periphery.
There are a number of factors that will keep the European Union from implementing many of the proposals discussed April 23, especially the one regarding the use of force against smuggling rings in northern Africa. First, the mission's scope and goals will be difficult to define, and its success remains dubious. Second, several EU members will oppose military intervention in Libya at a time when the bloc is pushing for a diplomatic solution to the country's civil war. European leaders will also probably fail to agree on redistribution of asylum seekers. Finally, there will likely be disagreement over who should staff the mission and whether the United Nations should approve it.
