Refugees will be barred from entering Western Balkans
European leaders have shut the borders between certain European countries—all but completely halting the Northbound flow of refugees seeking asylum from the Syrian civil war. Tens to hundreds of thousands of refugees, as a result, may become trapped in Greece, unable to follow the set paths leading to Germany. The European Union is currently trying to finalize a deal that could send all migrants back to Turkey.
Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia–three countries that lie between Greece and desireable northern countries–have all closed their borders to refugees. The path that tracks through the aforementioned countries is preferred by refugees, because the citizens of the Balkans often shelter and transport the asylum-seekers on their journey.
While free-travel between European countries is common for citizens and visa-holders, borders often turned a blind eye to asylum seekers heading towards Germany and Angela Merkel’s outspoken welcome of refugees. The EU is implicit in the decision, desiring an end to the flow of illegal immigrants, as well as the traffickers that take advantage of collective desperation.
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The decision to close the Balkans’ borders is both well-intentioned and neglectful. While EU leaders are hoping to put an end to the dangerous–and often disastrous–cross-ocean voyages undertaken by the refugees, there is also a note of xenophobia to the decision. In a statement made on March 9, 2016, the Serbian interior minister said that “Serbia cannot allow itself to become a collective centre for refugees, so it will harmonise all its measures with those of the EU member states.”
Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic of Croatia echoed the Serbian minister’s sentiment, stating “Illegal migrants will no longer pass along this route.”
Under the proposed agreement, any refugee that lands on Greek soil after leaving Turkey will be sent back to Turkish land and resettled there. The EU has pledged to expand humanitarian aid to help Turkey deal with the 2.7 million refugees already living in the nation, to expedite visa-free travel for Turks, and to reopen negotiations regarding Turkey’s application to join the EU.
Analysts and campaigners have said that the official closing of the borders will have little effect on refugees. Irregular migration will continue, though to a lesser extent. Human rights groups have objected to the proposed plan, arguing that returning asylum-seekers en masse without first assessing their legal applications for refuge violates international law. The borders’ closing has left thousands of refugees trapped at different points of the preferred route, and conditions are steadily worsening.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees—the UN’s refugee agency—is preparing contingency plans for the formation of new routes. Regardless, the UN is aware that the new proposed plan will not stop refugees from arriving in Greece. Human rights groups have raised concerns over the thousands of refugees trapped within Greece’s borders, arguing that the nation’s strapped economy will make it difficult for the government to continue providing care for migrants.