[MUSIC] In 2015 Europe experienced what was termed as a crisis. Over a million refugees and migrants arrived in the region seeking protection and opportunities for new life. We saw in Week 1 of this course, that in terms of the actual numbers, this is not the largest or even one of the largest refugee movements globally. But examining Europe's response to this crisis provides an important example of how governments have responded to large scale refugee and migrant flows. As well as the ways in which refugees can get caught up in broader efforts to prevent or discourage migration. The case study also provides an interesting example of how refugees can move on from their first country or region of asylum to more geographically distant locations. This practice often called onwards or secondary movements raises interesting questions about the ways in which during different periods. Refugees can become migrants, migrants can become refugees and how the categories are in practice a lot more fluid than might be first thought. It's often assumed that refugees who flee their home country can or should stop as soon as they find a place in which they're free of persecution or violence, and many do. Indeed, as you know from Week 1, the overwhelming majority of the world's refugees are hosted in countries neighboring their home country. However, onwards migration beyond those neighboring countries is also employed by some refugees seeking a solution to their displacement. Some of the factors which drive this onwards migration, towards more geographically distant locations, are explored by Heaven Crawley in your readings for this week. Take a moment to think about these. As Crawley demonstrates, they include complex and overlapping, forced and economic factors. Many of the refugees who arrived at Europe's borders in 2015 were Syrian refugees originally hosted in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. However, lack of investment by the international community resulted in extremely poor living conditions in which many lacked access to work, education and healthcare. Faced with these circumstances, some chose to move on. In what ways do refugees who continue their journeys remain refugees? And are there points at which they become migrants? Can migrants become refugees? If for example, they're exposed to violence and prosecution during their migratory journeys. And how can the categories of refugee and migrant overlap in different contexts and settings? In Week 2 of this course, we looked at the importance of how we speak about refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers. But it can be difficult to apply these terms in practice when we have complex motivations for moving and complex migratory roots and patterns. At the same time, many states have over the years enacted increasingly restrictive migration controls aimed at stemming irregular migration. Some of these take the form of visa requirements and restrictions on nationals of certain countries. And the imposition of carrier sanctions whereby travel providers, such as flight companies, lorry drivers and shipmasters are fined large amounts of money. If they deliberately or inadvertently enable the travel of a person without permission to enter the country. While largely targeted at irregular migrants, refugees are often caught up in these migration control policies, which may prevent them traveling legally or regularly. And are thus forced to undertake irregular migration routes. And this carries risks. People may be exposed to additional violence or exploitation. They may be forced to pay smugglers to facilitate their onwards journeys, and they may get caught up in other migration control mechanisms, such as maritime interdictions, detention, or expulsion. Some of the restrictive immigration measures implemented by European states in response to the 2015 crisis are examined by Garlick and DeLargy in your readings this week. Take a moment to reflect on the measures taken by European states. Did this deter migration to the region? Or did it as some suggest, simply force many to take more dangerous migratory routes? Did these measures effectively distinguish between refugees and migrants? This is something you might want to discuss in the discussion forum this week. Another facet of migration control that's increasingly being employed by states in the global north is corporation with neighboring countries, countries of origin and transit of migrants and refugees. And this can involve investing in strengthening the border controls of those countries. And concluding readmission agreements to return irregular migrants and asylum seekers that transmitted through that country. In Europe's case, European states have prioritized cooperation with countries in Northern Africa, such as Libya, and countries on the Eastern border, such as Turkey. Are these positive or negative developments? And what potential do they have for furthering or diminishing fairness and burden sharing in the global context? In the final reading this week Matthew Gibney reflects on the perceived security threats posed by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. We often see national security feature in political discourse on migration and asylum. How has this influence the development of migration controls in today's world? In what ways have asylum seekers and refugees been targeted as sources of insecurity? And how is the global landscape of refugee protection changed since the events of 9/11? The key points to take away from this week are that while the majority of refugees are hosted in the global south, some choose to move on and employ mobility as a way to seek longer-lasting solutions to their displacement. In doing so many are caught up in immigration control measures aimed at deterring irregular migration. By the end of this week, you should have a clearer idea of the migration control measures employed by countries in the global north, particularly in the European context. And how these can and have impacted on refugees and migrants. Your assessment this week will assess your understanding of these trends in the context of the European crisis of 2015. [MUSIC]
