Every day thousands of people embark on a dangerous cross-Mediterranean journey to Europe in pursuit of better life. They come from war-stricken, politically unstable, oppressed countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Iraq. In the first six months of 2015 137,000 refugees arrived to Europe by sea. With such staggering statistics it is difficult to bear in mind that those figures embody unique people and devastating stories. Despite the background, they are almost always referred to as migrants. However, current European crisis is predominantly a refugee one. Basically, as these people are fleeing war, all EU Member States are responsible for rescuing and protecting them. Numerous fatal Mediterranean shipwrecks called for immediate action from authorities and prompted emergency EU meetings to generate more effective solutions. Lately though, as a decline in sea deaths has been reported, Europe regained its credibility.Striving to reach Europe’s richest regions, the route originating in Turkey became the most sought-after. Refugees travel to either Bulgaria by foot or Greece by sea. With majority of those refugees coming from Syria, it is important to note that most of them first fled to neighboring countries. By the end of 2014 Turkey and Lebanon were at the forefront at refugee-hosting with more than 2 million Syrians at camps. However, with poor infrastructure, deteriorating conditions and growing difficulties at finding work and education in developing countries, many were compelled to continue seeking shelter elsewhere. In such endeavor, from Greece or Bulgaria they cross to Macedonia and Serbia before progressing north. So far European states resorted to a myriad of strategies, generally ones which thwart or limit refugees’ penetration into western Europe. Hungary is finishing a razor-wire fence along its border with Serbia. Slovakia issued an ultimatum to the EU to accept Christian refugees exclusively. Most recently, Macedonia, not an EU Member State, having declared the state of emergency sent security forces to close the border to refugees. In dealing with a massive refugee influx Europe needs a structured and collective response. Solutions are never easy, but they are straightforward and attainable. While less developed nations host more than 85% of the displaced, industrialized world experiences only a modest burden. Such circumstances require a balanced answer. Europe with its traditionally xenophobic attitudes now has moral, and legal, obligation to help. It needs a joint effort to responsibly undertake the crisis of the decade. Data source: The UN Refugee Agency. “The Sea Route to Europe: The Mediterranean Passage in the Age of Refugees. 1 July 2015 This article was written by Lana Kugli. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Lana Kugli