In Europe, a Rise in Asylum Seekers

Flows of people seeking refuge in EU countries are increasing due to ongoing unrest in North Africa and the Middle East as well as economic woes in the Caucasus. This trend is unfolding at an inopportune time for the EU states receiving the majority of these asylum seekers, where problems related to the European crisis are intensifying.

Northern Europe, for example, is dealing with rising immigration from outside the Continent as well as increasing migration from less economically stable EU states. Meanwhile, in countries along the union's external borders, the prevalence of anti-immigrant sentiment has undermined efforts to limit migration of refugees transiting onward to Western Europe. As the Continent's economic crisis continues, calls for stricter border control policies and the popularity of parties with anti-immigration platforms will grow, threatening some of the fundamental structures of EU integration.