Fortress Europe: Lower the drawbridges

Summary:

70 years after it was signed, the Geneva Refugee Convention is degenerating into an empty phrase. Its central promise that no one with a "well-founded fear of persecution" may be turned back stands in stark contrast to the current situation at Europe's borders.

Yet, the EU, with its value-based self-image, has an essential role to play in guaranteeing the Convention’s promise for the next 70 years and beyond. So even if member states will not completely abandon the construction of a "Fortress Europe", they should at least consider building drawbridges. The authors explain how.

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