Strengths

Europe has the potential to act as one nation. With a population of 500 million and its standing as ‘First World’ states, it is strong compared to many other players in world politics. Two world wars were fought to make it so, at the cost of the lives of millions of it’s citizens and allies from other countries around the world.

In my view, Europe shames their selfless contribution to peace, if it does not work as one for the greater good of it’s citizens and the world.

There is a Parliament in Brussels bristling with highly paid politicians and civil servants, who are responsible for policies. This parliament could have made a strategy to deal with immigration and have passed it into law. This would have controlled immigration by quotas, processing visa and asylum applications and closing down the illegal business of trafficking migrants.

Weaknesses

Europe has a large number of member states making it difficult to have unanimous agreement on policy.

Instead each state has ‘done it own thing’. Germany opened it’s doors to migrants weakening the strong government, other states like the United Kingdom accepted limited quotas, and some states like Italy and Malta closed their ports.

Immigrants have waited in camps in questionable conditions for their claim for a right to residency to be considered. One can only presume that too few resources have been allocated by the EU to process claims within a humanitarian time scale.

The whole business of trafficking of migrants has flourished at the cost of thousand of lives and human suffering.

Migrants are forced to use unseaworthy vessels to travel to Europe because the land borders are closed. At the airports, airlines themselves are at risk of being fined if they allow passengers without papers, to fly. So instead of paying 60 Euros for a flight to safety, they pay 1000 Euros to a criminal gang.

The risking of their own and their children’s lives, acts as a form of moral blackmail on European states to ‘do something’. Failure to act is seen as contrary to the Human Rights legislation each country is signed up to, including Italy and Malta who are now refusing to take migrants for rescue ships like the Aquarius.

Failing to stop migrants using unseaworthy vessels, has given moral cause to these humanitarian ships, to come to the rescue of drowning immigrants. But they inadvertently allow the traffickers to prosper because it gives hope to those setting out. There is a case (yet to be proven), to prosecute those aiding migrants on the grounds of aiding and abetting illegal trafficking

Opportunities

If there are wars on ‘terror’ and ‘drug trafficking’, why is there not a ‘war on immigrant trafficking?’ This would involve gathering intelligence within the states from where the traffickers operate, arrest and extradition of traffickers through sting operations and raids, removal of asserts likely to be used by traffickers such as unsafe inflatable boats, unsafe life jackets etc.

In an age when technology is able to monitor the entire north African coast and Mediterranean sea by the use of real time satellite images and drones, it is strange that unsafe vessels are not intercepted early and made to return to the port they came from. This policy would have a devastating effect upon the businesses of the traffickers who rely on never seeing their clients again – dead or alive.

Dealing with the human traffickers will potentially uncover and or deter terrorists and other criminals trying to enter Europe illegally.

Within those who chose to leave their countries, there are many who are educated and able to contribute to the country that accepts them. At a time of falling birth rates in much of Europe, it’s economic prosperity depends on a growing work force. It is possible to process applications for asylum at their country of origin or neighbouring states offering temporary asylum whilst processing takes place.

Threats

There is an opinion that the large influx of persons of the Muslim faith is designed to destabilise European governments, some of which have showed a strong prejudice against Muslims, perhaps following the lead of the USA president and Brexiteers . Such a prejudice would not be acceptable towards Jews and yet it is left unchallenged by Europe when directed at Muslims.

The cultures of the countries from which migrants are from are very different to the European way of life. Language, religion, social and family values, law and religious jurisprudence, community values ( sometimes tribal in nature ) prejudice, misinformation and unrealistic expectations – all place a large burden on migrants and their potential host European nations. European nations have to be flexible and realistic enough to allow the assimilation process to take several generations. Their citizens must be  informed and educated so that they view the process in the same way, otherwise their expectations will be unrealistic, leading to anger and dissent.

Right wing nationalist views are being expressed by many political parties in Europe. If such views and the effects of the economic recession gain dominance amongst the people Europe, there is a risk of some European countries falling under the control of fascist dictators. Dealing with immigration ineffectively gives the power to persuade to these parties and spreads their influence amongst the people of that country.

The bottom line for the European Union is this; if it cannot control it’s borders to deal with the arrival of desperate souls in rubber boats and prevent their deaths en-route, how can it be successful at anything?