European Policies during the Refugee Crisis: A Challenge for EU Civilian and Normative Power

Abstract

The refugee crisis of 2015-2016 cast a heavy shadow on the European Union’s ability to devise a common action plan in the form of common European policies which, on the one hand, would ensure the fair and equal treatment of refugees and on the other hand, prove the EU’s loyalty to its fundamental values of justice, freedom and democracy. The European Union has taken pride in its loyalty to the above principles as well as the transformative power it possesses. Its ability to influence third countries and secure a stable environment which comprises the fertile ground for political and economic development has resulted in the EU being described as “civilian” and “normative” power. The refugee crisis, however, brought this power into question as the policies implemented did not only fail to deal with the humanitarian plight of the refugees but also led to further insecurity within the EU itself while at the same time creating an impediment for collaboration with third countries for which the European construction had lost its allure. This paper discusses the extent to which the policies enforced by the EU augmented the crisis and posed a severe challenge for its “civilian” and “normative” power.