Migration and Security: the Challenge for the Transatlantic Community
The impact of migration on security of NATO states was clearly shown in 2015, when a mass immigration to the European Union took place. It was related to the decisions taken by the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, the differences in the assessment of this phenomenon by the Member States. As a result of the situation and refusal of the path chosen by Berlin and Brussels United Kingdom’s society pick up Brexit in the form of referendum. The following questions became background of decisions taken afterwards with implications for the present time: what is our, the Europeans’, position towards migration process now, and in future, what is our common reaction in formula of Transatlantic relations, together with the United States and Canada? What are our societies like in the context of phenomenon? What do they have in common and what divides them in relation to the approach to migration from the poorly developed to the well-developed regions of our planet? What actions should we take here and now as well as in the close and distant future to adequately address this issue on both sides of the Atlantic? How should we deal with migrants in the context of the liberal, humanitarian tradition confronted with those of them who reject it in the name of their politically and culturally hermetic views, or any other views? Should we, and if so, where should we put impassable frontiers for security of individuals and collectivities in the processes of integration and disintegration of liberal, democratic societies?
Above outnumbered questions, and many other similar ones appear to be crucial in the 21st century. At the same time, they are becoming more and more fundamental. Even though migration processes occurred throughout the 20th, it is their present form, intensification that initiated a debate on the nature of the phenomenon, its influence and the ways societies, states and institutions approach it. In the discourse we observe, disputes concentrate on three leading issues, the first one being the humanitarian dimension of the phenomenon, the second the nature of help offered to migrants, and the third a widely-understood national and international security confronted with migrations of people from unstable, most often conflict-stricken countries. Together with these questions, there are many other ones, whose importance, depending on the situational context, is indicated as crucial, or sometimes the most critical. Germany is a good example. From the very beginning, the creation and functioning of the CDU – CSU – SPD government have been determined by migrant-related issues, and they may finally lead to its breakdown.
The intensification of anti-migration social and political attitudes in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia as well as in Austria, Italy expressed by the recently-formed governments, and in the remaining EU states, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, indicates that the migration issue enters another stage. The existed till now interpretation of the EU institutions supported by Berlin’s policies, which may be characterized by a phrase ‘we can handle it’ ceases to be less and less effective, especially in the aspect accepting subsequent waves of immigrants which potentially may appear in Europe. The decisions which have been taken in this respect have been verified by societies, their institutions, and the European Union itself. Nevertheless, the phenomenon continues to occur, and tends to be periodically intensified. It creates the background to the debate on internal security of the states which form Transatlantic bonds, mainly on the European side of the Atlantic. Its effect may be a trend observable since 2017, reinforced by the European Parliament Elections 2019, and expressed by negation of the existing politics of the European elites and their migration policies. Such a change is confirmed not only by acts of terror with the participation of migrants, but also more frequently by the ‘no go zones’ / ‘non-governed zones’ which are reinforced by new incomers from the distant parts of the world functioning on the margin of open societies, moreover, by the cultural violence existing in these spheres, anti-Semitism and radicalism, which sometimes leads to terrorism.
The arguments raised in the public debate for and against migration, its forms, and in this context, the relations between the states and their societies on both sides of the Atlantic are extremely important. They influence the perception of the phenomenon in the context of security (Colett, 2017: 150-154). Here we can distinguish a national dimension (social, cultural, and political) as well as an international one. In the latter case, it is all about the policies of the states and the whole Transatlantic Community. What is of special importance here are the main migration problems, namely:
Understanding of these issues, and their interpenetration form the present interpretation of the problem of migration of people from the poorly developed to the highly developed areas of out planet, and the states of the Transatlantic Community located therein. Furthermore, it specifies the stances of its respective countries, both in the national dimension, i.e. political parties, citizens’ and ordinary people’s movements, the international dimension, and the dimension of organizations and institutions. This interpretation also implies the normative and organizational solutions which are being adopted, and application of the ones which exist at present.