European political leaders are scrambling to handle a flock of migrants from Syria and other countries gushing into the continent to flee violence.

The Daily Orange spoke to Seth Jolly, an associate professor of political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and Audie Klotz, a political science professor in Maxwell, about the migrant crisis in Europe.

The Daily Orange: There had been migrants from the Middle East and North Africa applying as refugees in the past. Why did the situation deteriorate quickly?

Seth Jolly: I think the biggest issue with the current escalation is that number of immigrants has more than doubled…It is [because of] a massive escalation of people fleeing, mostly from Syria right now.

The D.O.: Despite such an enormous risk, what prompts the migrants to move nevertheless?

S.J.: I think the explanation is that those refugees and immigrants think that it is safer on the boats than it is back in their home country.

Audie Klotz: Sometimes we don’t really understand how they view their own situation in what they see as the prospects of success in Europe. A lot of people have connections in Europe that lead them to be optimistic once they arrive that they can get on their feet.

The D.O.: How do you assess the European Union’s handling of the crisis? Do you think that EU has a responsibility to accept migrants from Syria and other countries?

S.J.: I think from a moral perspective that all developed countries that have the capacity should accept more.

A.K.: You have to disaggregate it to two ways; one is how does EU collectively respond, but also how are individual countries within EU resounding, and I think there is a very different assessment…I think all countries have some kind of moral obligation to accept refugees.

The D.O.: The conditions of refugee camps are deplorable. What needs to be done to accommodate them?

S.J.: I think this is the biggest failure that EU has that they leave the refugees’ entrance to the countries on the borders, which tend to be poor countries. Some of them particularly are Greece and Hungary, (which) are two of the biggest destinations…I think what EU should do and should continue to do is help build infrastructure to help.

The D.O.: What are some of EU’s structural problems highlighted by this crisis?

S.J.: I think the open border is one of the biggest selling points that EU has and I think it is one of the best things that EU does…and I fear that these sorts of crises will put that at risk.

A.K.: I think there is going to be a significant reconfiguration of all of Europe’s immigration policy, not just refugee policy.

The D.O.: What are some political, economical and social consequences of this crisis?

S.J.: I think it is a continuation of a long-term trend of immigration of other kinds of people into Europe that weren’t there before, and a lot of that means Muslim immigrants, which has increased dramatically over the last 20 years or so, and I think that changes the politics in a lot of countries.

The D.O.: EU members are divided on sharing the burden as to how many migrants they would accept. What kind of approach needs to be taken from influential members of EU to settle the difference?

A.K.: I guess the part of the conversation that I find most missing is nobody seems to be talking about the underlying conflict in Syria. I am not personally a fan of intervention so I am not automatically going to say these countries should be intervening in the conflict in Syria, but you can’t talk about an appropriate response to people fleeing a crisis without actually talking about the crisis itself.

The D.O.: The U.S. said it would accept 10,000 refugees from Syria. Should the U.S. do more?

S.J.: 10,000 is a drop in the bucket. I think the U.S. should do more.

A.K.: We have been responsible for wars in the Middle East and in Afghanistan and we have not been particularly responsive in terms of letting refugees from those regions come to the United States.

Published on September 14, 2015 at 11:06 pm

Contact Satoshi: ssugiyam@syr.edu | @SatoshiJournal