(Un)Freedom of Movement: Migration Issues in Europe, Part II

EUMAP.ORG is pleased to publish Part II of its new compilation of featured articles and opinion pieces on the most topical and important migration issues in Europe. (Part I, published earlier this month, dealt with selected aspects and trends of East-West migration in Europe.) Part II puts a spotlight on the situation of the most vulnerable and often overlooked groups in the course of migration debate, such as refugees and families/dependants of migrants that left to seek their fortunes in foreign lands.

The first two articles of the present selection address recent controversial media coverage of migration. The media coverage of migration issues on the eve of the recent European expansion has arguably done major damage to the public image of migrants from the new EU members, and may even have contributed to tightening migration legislation in some of the old EU countries. The selected articles offer two different perspectives on the European media coverage of migration: from an NGO representing a vulnerable minority group, and from a journalist.

The other two articles of this part of the publication offer an in-depth analysis of the newest EU legislative initiatives on the rights of third-country nationals. The EU's 1999 Tampere Council on the creation of an area of freedom, justice and security in Europe stated that “freedom should not … be regarded as the exclusive preserve of the Union’s own citizens.” The Council agreed a framework Common European Asylum and Migration Policy, which intended to include components such as fair treatment of third-country nationals and common asylum policy. In the five years following the Tampere Council, EU institutions adopted legislative packages on the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and on the rights of the third-country nationals who are long-term residents of the EU. Each initiative in its own way represents a major step forward in harmonising EU policies in the area of freedom, justice and security, but each also falls substantially short of universal human rights standards.

One of the selected articles analyses the EU Directive on family reunification, recognising the Directive’s merits and outlining its significant shortcomings as regards fundamental human rights. The second article critiques the EU’s post-Tampere refugee regime in light of established international standards of treatment of refugees.

Media as Scare-mongering
Marius Dragomir
"The discourse in the European mainstream media on the enlargement has been tarred by inflation of fear towards the migration that enlargement would bring."

Who is Afraid of Migrating Roma?
Karin Waringo
"The real threat for Europe appears to be not a massive immigration of Roma from the East to the West; rather, the threat is that Europe will maintain the centuries-old status quo with Roma as social outcasts, for whom Europe's promises of freedom, justice, and security are nothing but an empty shell."

Seeking Asylum in the European Union:Is the Spirit of Tampere Present in New Legislation?
By Maria de las Cuevas Rodriguez
"In the past decade, Europe has seen a significant increase in the numbers of displaced persons, and the events in Kosovo in particular became a catalyst in developing the EU's own refugee protection regime. The 1999 European Council of Tampere reaffirmed that the EU and its member states were committed to absolute respect of the right to seek asylum. This paper will present an overview of EU legislation on enacted during the past five years following the Tampere Council."

Recent Developments in EU Immigration Law - Family Reunification Directive:Achievement or Failure of the EU Immigration Policy?
Nataliya Oliynik
"In 2003, as a the result of the Union institutions and member states’ political and legislative zeal to achieve the Tampere goals, a significant and long-awaited EU document in the sphere of immigration finally saw the light of day, the Directive on Family Reunification of Third-Country Nationals. According to its Preamble, the aim is to safeguard and protect the fundamental right to family life at the Union level. In addition, the Directive is aimed at the harmonisation of national legislation on the conditions for admission and residence of third-country nationals. This article will analyse the Directive, comparing it to the 1999 Commission Proposal for the Directive for Family Reunification and try to assess whether this document has reached the aims set and whether it is an achievement or a failure of EU immigration policy."

Image: (c) UNHCR.