Is it time to close the borders of the European Union? (Zoltán Gábor, CGSRS)

The inefficiency of the series of measures that the leaders of the European Union (EU) had adopted since May 2015 triggered a change of heart even among the most fervent supporters of a benevolent approach towards the influx of migrants. The uncompromising idealism and ‘can-do’ attitude inspired the EU leaders to act on the humanitarian values of Europe at any cost. In hindsight, this was an error in judgment for two reasons. First, the division among EU member states on the extent to which the block was willing and capable of receiving asylum seekers on pure humanitarian grounds prevented consensus and coordinated action. Second, the lack of preparedness of the EU and its member states to address the migration emergency impaired the effectiveness of any EU-level action to handle the crisis. The only viable solution is for the EU to seal its external borders to stop the migration flow. Otherwise, desperate people will continue to arrive to seek safe haven in the EU. Finding a middle ground is increasingly illusory, and risks exacerbating the crisis. Nonetheless, the EU took in its fair share of people who sought refuge in Europe. It is time to put the European Union’s self-interest first: to save the achievements of the Schengen Area, to rebuild the cohesion of Europe, to safeguard the trust of the constituents in the European project, and to return to common sense politics.

http://www.cgsrs.org/publicationDetail.php?page=Publication&Publication=49