Naslov
The Balkans and Refugee Crisis: Lessons Identified and way forward

Autori
Mikac, Robert ; Cesarec, Ivana

Izvornik
Security dialogue (0967-0106) 8 (2017), 2; 169-188

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, pregledni rad, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
The Balkans ; Refugee crisis ; Lessons Identified ; Way forward

Sažetak
During the refugee/migrant crisis in 2015 and 2016, through the Balkan countries from Turkey to Western Europe has passed more than 800.000 refugees and migrants. A relatively small number of them requested asylum protection in the countries of the Balkans, generally they all had the intention to come as quickly as possible to Western Europe. In fact, gaps between a large number of migrants and refugees, the uncertainty of time (until when the route will be opened for massive passage), limited transport and accommodation capacities in all parts of the route, limited humanitarian and security assumptions and different approaches towards this the challenge resulted in a political crisis between individual Balkan countries. Paradoxically, despite they were aware that refugees and migrants do not want to stay in their countries, at the beginning of the crisis the Balkan countries very badly cooperated, and some of them even confronted each other in some areas. As the crisis extended, slowly the cooperation between countries increased, although by the end of the crisis has not reached a satisfactory level of collaboration needed between the neighboring countries that lean on each other and depend on each other treatment. Under the assumption that crisis between countries was inevitable, it should be one of organizational nature – which is the best way to help refugees and migrants in transit with the clear implementation of necessary and available security measures that could be carried out – and not political character. Due to the real need for improving future cooperation between the Balkan countries, under the reasonable assumption of reopening the route for massive migration (either to Western Europe or the return of those who will not be able to stay and will be returned through the same route), it is necessary to analyze the recent experiences and suggest ways and models of better cooperation in the future. The main focus of this research is the analysis of political processes and decisions, applied models of cooperation and detection of unused opportunities, all that with the aim of articulating these results in the form of recommendations for a wide range of actors involved at all levels of emergency management - whether in the refugee/migrant crisis or another potential crisis in the Balkans.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Politologija, Sigurnosne i obrambene znanosti, Interdisciplinarne društvene znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA