Asylum seekers in Europe : how are they being dealt with?

Abstract

The latest flow of illegal migrants into European Union member states is one of the biggest crisis that the EU is facing since its founding. This is large sudden ingress of migrants crossing EU borders illegaly is largely due to the ongoing Syrian Civil War, which started in 2011. However the phenomenon of illegal migration is a challenge which the European Union has been facing for sometime now. It is rather a situation which has been ongoing throughout history. However as a result of the acceleration of the process of globalization, increasing human mobility and European integration, Europe has since the turn of the millennium, experienced a rising trend in irregular migration from several nations in the African continent and more recently Middle Eastern nations, particularly through its southern and eastern borders. In my view such a phenomenon which has effected the European Union in such a drastic manner, turning the EU into a key global actor in dealing with irregular migration deserves more academic interest. The fact that it is such a current and relevant topic, one which also concerns my home country, Malta was what drew me towards this study. The first idea for this dissertation was suggested by a family friends who deal with the issues discussed in this dissertation on a daily basis as they work in the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) and the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS). The aim of this dissertation is to analyse and examine how asylum seeking as a process functions in the EU and the key challenges that the system faces and as a result are experienced by migrants seeking asylum in EU member states.