St. Mary’s Academy and Kent Denver SchoolModel United Nations Conference

November 12, 2016

Background GuideIntermediate Future of the EU Council

Topic 1: Reforming Refugee Policy in EuropeTopic 2: Assessing the Rise of Conservative Nationalism in Europe

Elsa Wefes-PotterErin Curley

The European Union

The European Union, established in 1993 as the European Community, is a politico-economic union, including 28 member states that has become a single internal market in which labor, goods, services and capital can transcend borders without customs or tariffs. Additionally, the EU makes international regulations for trade, common industries and the currency of the Euro, which 19 member states have adopted since its creation under the Maastricht Treaty, which outlined the basic structure of the institution. Originally the EU was the European Economic Community (EEC), which established the European Commission to create, implement, and uphold legislation of the EEC. The 6 original member states formed this alliance in order to pool the economies of a war-ridden Europe and rebuild their economic potential.

By 1993, many proposed pieces of the 1958 EEC treaty, including a the creation of a single market through the reduction of customs, and common transport and agriculture policies, had been implemented, thus forming what we now know as the EU with the Maastricht Treaty. This treaty expanded the power of the former solely economic alliance to include foreign policy, military, and judicial cooperation. Uniform policies on law enforcement, criminal justice, immigration and asylum were established as well. The Schengen Agreement, passed by 26 of the member states, took effect in 1995 and allows for people to move throughout the EU without passport controls. Even at its passing, the Schengen Agreement was controversial because anyone entering one country would then be granted access to all participating countries. This agreement in particular has caused problems for the EU given the current refugee crisis.

The Treaty of Lisbon, passed in 2007, amended the EU, its regulations on currency, economy and intergovernmental bodies as well as the various subcommittees. In addition, the new treaty included explicit guidelines for both entering and leaving the EU, a process that will need to be taken into account as the UK makes its exit, which is scheduled to officially start in 2017. Overall the treaty gave much more power to the European Parliament, giving it legislative power on par with that of the EU Council of Ministers. In addition, the Treaty of Lisbon established a position of President of the European Council and consolidated legal power, making the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding in member state countries. Opponents of the treaty believed that the EU as a political body was becoming too powerful and undermining the sovereignty of independent nations. This attempt to increase the power of the EU has been rejected before in the abandonment of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in 2001, but even with the latest reforms, opposition groups are adamant that no such treaty should be passed.

The benefits of membership in the European Union are remarkable, as they namely allow ease in inter-member state trade. Trade is facilitated through the withdrawal of economic trade hurdles and sanctions, thereby reducing the costs of items through the elimination of tariffs. The increase of competition, and thereby reduction of price, in the statewide market is beneficiary to the European and International consumers. In voting to leave the European Union, British consumers have signed themselves up for a price increase in both imported and domestic goods- goods from neighboring Europe will see increased tariffs and trade hurdles, increasing prices by economic necessity. The costs of domestic goods will not be as affected by the competition of lowering international prices as they were, and thus will likely be paying higher premiums due to a lack of international competition.

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Voting Procedures in the Council of the EU

To be passed, decisions in the Council of the European Union require a double majority. Double majorities necessitate 2 different requirements to be met. If only one is met, the decision fails.

For our council, the 2 requirements are:

● At least 55% of attending countries with voting privileges must vote in favor. With 14 voting countries, this means 8 out of 14.

● The countries that vote in favor of the decision must represent at least 65% of the population of the attending countries

To block a decision, 2 requirements must also be met:● At least 3 countries must vote to block. ● The countries that vote to block must represent at least 35% of the population of the attending

countries.

Percentage of Population of Attending Nations

Country Population Percentage of Voting NationsFrance 66661621 15.05%Germany 82162000 18.55%Hungary 9830485 2.22%UK 65341183 14.75%Poland 37967209 8.57%Greece 10793526 2.44%Italy 60665551 13.70%Netherlands 16979120 3.83%Belgium 11289853 2.55%Denmark 5707251 1.29%Czech Republic 10553843 2.38%Austria 8700471 1.96%Sweden 9851017 2.22%Spain 46438422 10.48%

Total 442941552 100.00%

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Topic 1: Reforming Refugee Policy in Europe

Definitions

Refugee: “Someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence.”1 Persecution for reasons of race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, political opinion or membership to a particular social group, sometimes involving to violent conflict are common reasons for refugees.

Asylum Seeker: One who has left the country of origin seeking refuge in another country. To be granted asylum there must be demonstration of fear from persecution in the home country.

- When granted asylum the person is then given refugee status (the right of fundamental human rights to legal protection and material assistance as defined by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights2).

-Internally Displaced Person (IDP): One who flees home for the same reasons as a refugee but has not left his or her country.

- The government of this country is responsible for the protection of IDPs. But wars and internal conflicts, which are often the reason for their displacement, prevent the government from taking action to protect these people, who are often not protected under international law3

History of the Refugee Crisis

As part of a series of uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa against autocratic regimes known as the “Arab Spring,” in 2011, pro-democracy protesters took to the streets in Syria in opposition to president Bashar al-Assad’s government. As the president fought to stay in power, he instituted violent government shutdowns of rallies, some of which were non-violent. The state-sponsored attacks on civilians provoked even more widespread demonstrations and rebellions, ensuing in a full-fledged civil war which continues to wreak havoc on citizens across the country. While the war continues, there is no economic stability. Also, humanitarian aid convoys from the UN have been attacked, including one in mid-September 2016. These attacks prevent vital aid from getting to civilians, who are often caught in the cross fires of rebel-regime violence. For example, in Aleppo, a split rebel- and government-held city in northern Syria, bombings by the Assad regime and its Russian supporters have resulted in over 6000 deaths and over 300,000 people trapped in the besieged city.

To complicate matters further, out of the raging civil war arose multiple extremist groups, including the terrorist group known by many names: the Islamic State (IS), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), ISIL, and Daesh. The Al-Nusra Front is another extremist group that is very prominent in Syria. These terrorist organizations are responsible for further deaths in the country and also add a second level of complexity: the Sunni/Shi’a conflict, which is an ongoing problem in the Middle East. In Syria, Bashar al Assad, the president, is a part of the Shi’a minority. The Sunni majority in Syria is represented by many different political factions who have vastly different visions for Syria's future. The Islamic State

1 http://www.unrefugees.org/what-is-a-refugee/2 http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/3 http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/protection/migration/4de4eef19/cis-convention-human-rights-fundamental-freedoms.html

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is a Sunni extremist group that believes in the right of the Sunni majority to rise up and install a true Islamic State throughout the Middle East.

The goal of terrorism is to incite fear. Terrorists will torture and kill with that goal in mind and therefore do not restrict themselves to one method of death or to one group of people. They do what is most effective to spread their message. Furthermore, even the Syrian government, supported by Russia, has abandoned all codes of war, dropping chemical weapons in 2014 and 2015 on civilians of multiple cities, enforcing disappearances, torture, rape and blocking civilians’ access to food and water. In addition, barrel bombs target civilians specifically. The UN fact-finding commission and the UNHCR verified these allegations this year, causing an international condemnation of Bashar al Assad. Considering all of these factors, the terrible violence of the Syrian Civil War and the terrorist groups of the region have made Syria a largely uninhabitable place, resulting in millions of internally displaced people and refugees.

As the country has deteriorated, hundreds of thousands have died, while survivors flee the violence. As of March 2016 over 4.5 million people had left Syria, including 1.2 million in 2015 alone.4 The majority of these migrants have been displaced in crowded refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq with little access to sanitation, food or clean water.

In 2015, a radical change occurred in the flood of refugees coming out of Syria. Many attempted passage to Europe to avoid the chaos of the refugee camps in countries that themselves have intermittent violence and political unrest. This migration has been undertaken either by land through Eastern Europe, which has inundated countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary, and Austria with refugees, or migrants take the more treacherous route via the Mediterranean Sea, leaving many dead. Those who survive end up mostly

in Italy and Greece, countries that have more refugees than they are able or willing to accommodate. The refugees move further northwest into France and, in particular, Germany, a nation now harboring more than 1.1 million refugees.5 German leaders are worried that the country will soon be overwhelmed and be unable to maintain economic and social stability.

As the countries of Western Europe are more economically stable, they would, in theory, be able to accommodate more refugees, thus protecting migrants from refugee camps

and integrating them into society. Given the dangerous journey, particularly those who attempted to cross

4 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-261168685 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-germany-merkel-idUSKBN12F0FZ

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the Mediterranean in what were essentially rubber dinghies, the UNHCR has tried to deter people from taking this route out of Syria. While the flow of refugees has slowly stemmed in 2016, there are over 4 million refugees in countries neighboring Syria who may attempt passage to Europe. The humanitarian crisis continues as the violence and political discord persists. 6

United Nations and European Union Refugee Policies

The official UN policy on refugees, established during the 1951 Refugee Convention in Geneva, and the revised protocol of 1967, declares that refugees have the right not to be sent back to their country of origin if it is proved that they will be killed, persecuted or harmed in anyway. Additionally, they are granted the right not to be punished for illegally entering a country that has signed the treaty. They also have a legal right of access to education, housing, public assistance, and the courts, as well the right to work.7 This last piece is one of the major points of contention among host country populations. The provisions state that "refugees deserve, as a minimum, the same standards of treatment enjoyed by other foreign nationals in a given country and, in many cases, the same treatment as nationals.”8 Working in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the EU has created the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which unifies asylum standards and refugee policy across EU member states.

One of the most important decisions of its establishment was the creation of the Dublin III Regulation in 2013, which allows EU countries to send refugees to the original EU country of their arrival to be registered and processed for asylum, as long as this country upholds the refugees’ right to be considered for asylum. Especially evident in the latest flood of refugees is that this system favors northern European countries, which are often the preferred final destinations for asylum seekers, while disadvantaging countries with high numbers of migrant arrivals, such as Greece, Italy and Hungary. Due to the extent of this crisis, the Dublin system has begun to break down, not only because refugees will skirt the system by avoiding registration in the first country they reach, but also because of the Schengen Agreement.

The creation of the Schengen in 1995 for the most part eliminated the existence-fortified borders of member countries. As a result, citizens as well as refugees can move throughout the EU without hindrance. This policy has made it very hard to keep track of migrants and their asylum status as they travel between countries that have little border security in place. Many refugees, some of whom have not been registered and processed for asylum, move northward to economically prosperous nations like France and Germany. Technically, they have the right to send refugees back to their “country of arrival” to be processed; however, because of the sheer number of people arriving every day, the EU has prohibited the enactment of the Dublin system to return migrants to Greece since 2011, and Hungary has

6 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911

7 http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/world/refugee-obligation/8 http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/world/refugee-obligation/

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simply stopped accepting the returns.9 Germany actually has decided to suspend the rules of the Dublin Regulation for refugees reaching its borders and register and process them itself, promoting a policy of open borders. Germany has voluntarily accepted the most refugees of any EU member state thus far, but with over 1.3 million refugees in its borders as of March 2016, even they have realized that “Not everyone can have asylum,” as stated by Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere.

European Union Responses to the Refugee Crisis

The refugee crisis in Europe is already a catastrophe of enormous proportions because of the sheer number of people coming into the EU. These numbers have also made it easy for undocumented immigrants (not refugees) to enter Europe and seek a better life, evading the systems put in place to prevent this. A further worry is the arrival of terrorists that disguise themselves as refugees. However, its effects are made much worse by the systemic problems in regulation and processing which are result inapplicable programs in place at the moment. The integration of Europe by means of EU policies has led to much disorganization during the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Refugees are moving throughout Europe making the process of registration and vetting for asylum all the more difficult. The number of migrants in specific countries is not necessarily proportional to its economic means.10 Additionally, because of the migration within Europe and problems with registration, not all migrants have been registered, and not all migrants have applied for or been given asylum. As numbers rise, it is ever more pressing that nations can vet refugees and deport those who have not qualified for asylum as laid out by EU and international regulations.

In 2015, the EU enacted Article 78 (3), which is done only when one or more member countries are in a state of emergency “characterized by a sudden flow of third country nationals.”11 The Commission proposed to relocated 160,000 people from Greece, Hungary and Italy. This article created a quota system that most countries agreed with. If a country cannot participate in the relocation and distribution of refugees then it must make a financial contribution to the EU budget up to .002% of its GDP.12 The plan would temporarily eliminate the Dublin Regulation so that refugees only have a legal right to reside in the country where they have been granted asylum, assigned by the distribution key.13

9 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/world/europe/europe-refugees-migrants-rules.html?_r=010 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/asylum/examination-of-applicants/index_en.htm11 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-15-5597_en.htm12 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-15-5597_en.htm13 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-15-5597_en.htm

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While there has not been any proposal to add more refugees to Hungary’s migrant population, the current Hungarian government views any EU control over refugee policy to be a violation of its sovereignty. Despite the fact that the EU mandates of 2015 force other countries to accept refugees in an effort to relocate them out of Hungary, Hungary does not want the quotas established in 2015 to force them to grant refugees asylum. The country has erected fences and walls on their borders with Serbia in order to prevent any more migrants from entering. Anyone that does is prosecuted and sometimes violently thrown out. Refugees often make efforts to go to other countries, but many are now trapped in Hungary in miserable conditions without being relocated, or are stuck outside of the walls not able to enter the EU.14 These refugees are not living within the standards laid out by both the EU and the UN. The politics and finances of relocating and distributing refugees have deteriorated the situation for actual migrants awaiting asylum.

Not only are some countries generally opposed to the EU overseeing the refugee problem and determining what individual nations must do, but the quota system, which was approved by most of Europe, has been largely ineffective. Only 1441 migrants of the 160,000 proposed have actually been relocated.15 Particularly difficult is the logistics of moving refugees from one country to another when they have no desire to leave the country to which they have arrived. The lack of fortified borders and the sheer number of refugees makes it very difficult to register everyone and then assign people to countries for their asylum applications to be processed. Many have not even applied for asylum. Certain countries deem themselves “not ready to accept refugees” and thus refuse to accommodate them. As a result, the EU has proposed controversial fines for member states refusing to accept asylum seekers: “Under the new proposal, countries receiving more than 150% of their fair share of asylum requests would have all newcomers redistributed to countries with fewer asylum seekers. The share would be calculated yearly in relation to the country’s population and gross domestic product. Countries that have already received 100% of their allocated share wouldn’t be obliged to take in more asylum seekers.”16

However, much like the 2015 distribution mandate, this proposal, which hopes to relieve pressure on the front line countries, will not work when refugees can move easily to a country that is more advantageous for them, regardless of their assigned asylum country. The problem remains how to register and actually move asylum seekers to countries where they can be accommodated and their applications can be considered.

In 2016, the EU and Turkey struck a deal in order to address the flow of smuggled migrants into Greece from Turkey. The agreement was essentially a way for EU country governments to appease their national populations by finding ways to return irregular migrants (those who are not granted asylum) to Turkey and to prevent the unchecked flow of migrants into the EU. In return, Turkey would receive

14 http://www.npr.org/2016/10/02/496282817/hungary-votes-on-eu-mandatory-refugee-referendum?sc=17&f=10&utm_source=iosnewsapp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=app15 http://www.wsj.com/articles/european-commission-backs-visa-free-travel-for-turks-146235728716 http://www.wsj.com/articles/european-commission-backs-visa-free-travel-for-turks-1462357287

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financial support from EU member states that would also help with resettlement inside Turkey, as well as fast tracking the process of allowing Turkish citizens visa-free access into the EU. The fact that country leaders could agree on this demonstrates the momentum and influence of the growing nationalist groups all over Europe who desperately want to get rid of refugees. However, the EU parliament has also created safeguards to ensure that they can back out of deals if people overstay the allotted time without a visa, or if the number of unjustified asylum claims increase.17 The EU-Turkey deal invokes the second legal claim for the return of a migrant to his or her “first country of asylum.” As many of the refugees coming into the EU originally fled to Turkey, the deal, which designates Turkey as a safe country in which refugees can seek and receive protection, gives Europe the possibility of sending them back there.18 This process of vetting refugees is vital to be able to truly accommodate those who qualify for asylum.

The EU already has taken in millions of refugees, with certain countries accommodating more than others. While the unification of Europe has become a disaster of disorganization, national sovereignty has allowed countries to refuse quotas, violate policies and even, as in Hungary’s case, build walls in attempts to prevent refugees from entering their nation. As a result, countries that are either arrival places or desirable destinations for migrants bear the brunt of the work of processing refugees and accommodating them both economically and socially in their societies. These policies pose systemic problems in processing their arrival and distributing the responsibilities among the EU states.19

Current Situation

The refugee crisis is not only problematic for the host countries and for the distributing of refugees throughout the EU, but also the human rights of refugees are sometimes violated. The Jungle of Calais, a migrant camp outside of the city of Calais, France, is one of the worst examples of refugee accommodation to date. The shelter provided to the refugees is minimal when it exists at all. Many live in inadequate tents that have been burnt or demolished. People are evicted and transferred to new areas with little regard for their human rights. Furthermore, when conflict breaks out, as is not unusual in these camps, police use tear gas and rubber bullets to quell disputes and to force people to leave their shelters and to be re-housed, sometimes with up to 3000 people in 1200 accommodations provided by the state.20 Volunteers, NGOs and state sponsored programs are responsible for the migrants.

While a large portion of the problem with the refugee crisis is stemming the flow of the refugees at the source, bringing an end to the Syrian Civil War is of primary concern. Meanwhile, the refugee crisis in Europe, while continuing to grow, seems to becoming a more permanent issue. Certain nations

17 http://www.wsj.com/articles/european-commission-backs-visa-free-travel-for-turks-146235728718 http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/paradox-eu-turkey-refugee-deal19 http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/paradox-eu-turkey-refugee-deal20http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/what-life-looks-like-for-refugees-in-france-a6978661.html

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are especially resistant to accepting refugees, not only for the economic burden of housing and feeding them, but also to the societal burden of integrating a large number of people who often do not speak the language of the country and have even less of an understanding of their traditions and customs. The cultural and religious differences of refugees with the national population are the primary focus of many conservative parties and extreme right wing parties of the EU as well.

Questions to Consider:- Should EU countries share the responsibilities of the refugee crisis?- Should there be quotas based on the economic status of a country? Who decides this?- Does each country get to decide for itself how many refugees it takes in?- What reforms can be implemented to prevent the breakdown of the Dublin System? Should it be

reformed or abolished?- Should Schengen be temporarily suspended? If that is the case how do arrival countries deal with

the refugees when they are kept there? How are they distributed later on? What effect does this have on the European economic situation?

- What should be the consequences for countries that refuse to comply with EU refugee policies?- How does Europe deal with refugees in the long run?

Topic 2: Assessing the Rise of Conservative Nationalism

While they have existed for a long time, the prominence of extreme right wing nationalist parties in European politics and their popularity in society has increased tremendously in recent years. These highly nationalistic right wing conservative groups threaten the existence of the EU itself. Three such groups are the Conservative Party

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of the UK, UK Independence Party and British National Party who, under the leadership of Brexit leaders Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and now prime minister Theresa May, led the campaign that was successful in Britain’s directive to leave the EU. The people of Britain officially made the decision to leave in a referendum passed in June of 2016. While Britain’s incentives for leaving the EU include independence in regards to its trade and freedom from the regulations set by the EU Council, Brexit also is a statement for national sovereignty over international institutions. This trend is especially prominent in Europe at the moment and is partially in response to the growing number of refugees that have already come by the millions and continue to arrive.

This unprecedented number of refugees has sparked tensions within European countries, especially given the ISIS terrorist violence of 2016. Terrorists involved in multiple attacks entered the EU through refugee channels. From attacks in Paris, Brussels and Nice, to the sexual assault of women in Germany by migrants, conservatives have used these incidents as fuel for their campaigns against immigration. Extremist right wing parties have become prominent all over Europe, opposing the social and economic change that has come about because of the large influx of refugees and are especially vocal about Islam, which is becoming more prominent both culturally and religiously as Arab Muslim refugees enter Europe. In the example of Hungary, although few migrants are heading to the country, the government insists that it must protect itself from specific threat of “uncontrolled Muslim migration.”21

The changing social climate that comes about as a result of large immigrant populations, particularly when they do not assimilate into the culture of the host countries, is a legitimate concern for many Europeans who fear that the refugee crisis is not temporary. While this is not the immediate issue at hand, in the future, when the Syrian Civil War is over and it is safe for refugees to return to their homeland, the question will arise of how to get them to go back once they have built lives here. It is important to remember however, that most refugees want to return to a future peaceful and prosperous Syria.

Far-right view on Refugees

A large part of the conservative opposition to refugees comes from xenophobia and a will to maintain the culture and nationalism of their respective countries. They also state that refugees are in opposition to their nation’s interests economically. Studies show that refugees do impact the national public finances. Not only is there the bureaucratic problem of registering and generally keeping track of refugees but also all of those migrants who have not yet applied for asylum or are in the process of doing

so are living at the expense of the host countries, who under UN law are required to provide food, water, shelter and moderate health care. One worry is that once they are granted asylum they will impact the average worker negatively as they compete for jobs. However, evidence shows that migrants have little effect on employment and wages, particularly in skilled

21 http://www.npr.org/2016/10/02/496282817/hungary-votes-on-eu-mandatory-refugee-referendum?sc=17&f=10&utm_source=iosnewsapp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=app

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working jobs.22 The public’s perception of migrants is largely affected by what natives believe rather than the facts.

Both the refugees and the local populations of European countries experience the negative effects of the refugee crisis. Outside the camps, most citizens who are opposed to the uptake of refugees base their opinions on principle and on the fear of theoretical consequences impacting their society and economy. However, some feel the impact more directly. Those who live in the city of Calais, for example are only a few miles from the chaos of the camp and many resent the problems that come along with living side by side with a large population of another culture living in squalid conditions with nothing to do. As a result of the conditions, the treatment of refugees by local police, hostility towards them by local populations and their lack of occupation, violence erupts constantly. Not only this, but the cost of keeping these camps and feeding refugees, while many natives of the country do not have jobs themselves, causes immense tensions between migrants and locals.23

Countries such as Britain, who are not part of the Schengen Agreement, simply refuse to accept refugees. While EU policies actually has binding power, quotas cannot be enforced because of the logistics of distribution or countries simply refusing to comply with the mandate. As a result, the UK only accepted 20,000 migrants over the course of 5 years, whereas by 2015 France and Hungary had accepted over 100,000 claims and Germany over 500,000. Refugees naturally affect the economy, society and security of their host country, solely because the nation must accept the monetary burden of caring for refugees; these issues are very easy to avoid by refusing to accommodate large populations of migrants. The preexisting attitude towards refugees, coupled with the success of Brexit in preventing refugees from entering the UK, fuels the anti- EU sentiment of conservative parties and gives them leverage with the public.

Violence

While the parties have existed for years Europe has seen an increase in the nationalistic, right-wing sentiment throughout Europe. Germany’s Alternative for Germany, the National Front of France, the British National Party, and the Austrian Freedom Party are all examples of right wing extremism taking off. One of the foremost issues for these parties are the “invading hordes of Muslims,” which, according to some pose imminent threats to the culture, economic prosperity and security of their respective host nations.24 As a result, the number of hate crimes committed against refugees and Muslims has risen tremendously. Right wing extremist groups have been especially empowered by the success of the leave campaign in Britain and some opposition groups have taken a violent turn. Particularly in the UK, police have registered a noticeable increase of hate crimes since the passing of the referendum. Multiple incidents of xenophobic attacks have arisen, not even necessarily against refugees or Muslims,

although these attacks have been prevalent too.25 A study done by the Royal United Services

22http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21688938-europes-new-arrivals-will-probably-dent-public-finances-not-wages-good-or23http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/what-life-looks-like-for-refugees-in-france-a6978661.html24http://www.npr.org/2016/10/14/497991235/hungary-works-to-strengthen-anti-migrant-fence-on-serbian-border?sc=17&f=1004&utm_source=iosnewsapp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=app25http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/06/29/484038396/after-brexit-vote-u-k-sees-a-wave-of-hate-crimes-and-racist-abuse?sc=17&f=&utm_source=iosnewsapp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=app

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Institute shows that as many lone act terrorist plots have been committed by right wing extremists as by Islamic terrorists; however, there is much less attention paid to these attacks by the authorities. 40% of far right violent crimes were discovered by chance, while over 80% of Islamic terrorist acts were discovered through intelligence operations.26

These groups are not only xenophobic, anti-islamic nationalists, they actually have social prominence and even political power in some states. As anger against the refugees and the political parties in power strengthened, far right ideas became more popular and have now become part of the political mainstream in many countries, some of which have far right parties in power. The general political agendas of these parties include, economic protectionism, law and order, and opposition to immigration. Many are also Eurosceptic, meaning they do not fundamentally support the idea of an international organization limiting national sovereignty such as the European Union. Some parties such as the Party for Freedom of the Netherlands in addition to being anti-immigration are assimilationist under the policy that if people are immigrating they need to assimilate into the culture and society of their host country. 27

Recent Violence in Europe Against Refugees:

❖ Germany ➢ 4 attempted murders, 8 explosive offenses, 60 assaults, 94 Arsons28

➢ http://www.dw.com/en/german-police-chief-concerned-at-growing-anti-refugee-violence/a-19257795

➢ "Six people suffered from smoke inhalation injuries early on Thursday morning after unknown attackers set fire to a hotel in Bingen, Rhineland-Palatinate."

➢ https://www.thelocal.de/20160407/six-hurt-in-anti-refugee-hotel-arson-attack

❖ Norway ➢ Proposal to seize refugee’s valuables29 ➢ "45 arson attacks had been carried out on refugee shelters so far this year."

❖ Finland➢ "In Finland, militia groups are patrolling small towns housing asylum seekers in the name of

protecting white Finnish women. In Germany, far-right protesters rampaged through Leipzig on Monday, vandalizing buildings in an “anti-Islamization” demonstration. In Italy on Tuesday, an anti-immigration regional government approved the text of a law making it difficult to construct new mosques as Muslim refugees are settled in the area."

➢ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/world/europe/a-climate-of-fear-widens-divisions-in- europes-migrant-crisis.html

26https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/28/brexit-europe-far-right-rightwing-extremists-politics-terrorism27 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_for_Freedom#Immigration28http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-crisis-sparks-record-year-for-political-violence-in-germany-as-right-and-left-wing-clash-a7044521.html29http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-crisis-norway-is-latest-country-to-propose-seizing-asylum-seekers-cash-and-valuables-a6832966.html

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❖ The Netherlands➢ ‘Stop asylum nonsense!’ Anti-refugee rally in small Dutch town erupts in violence➢ https://www.rt.com/news/329385-netherlands-anti-refugee-clashes/

Economic and Political Reasons for Euro-skepticism

While one of the main platforms of far right parties is the anti-immigration, anti-Islamic focus, the nationalistic sentiment is relevant to their ideas on foreign policy and economics as well. In the political branch of the European Union, largely because of the voting procedure of the European Parliament as outlined above, populous western European nations dominate the legislation, foreign policy and commerce of the EU. Many smaller countries, such as Hungary, the Netherlands, and Belgium do not have much influence in these decision making processes, giving merit to the claims of their respective far right parties. While the UK is not one of these countries, its Leave movement has championed the national sovereignty cause as its principal motivation.

While many countries have become more nationalistic in their political sentiment, Britain’s Leave movement is the first realization of these arguments. The referendum in June of 2016 was a people’s vote to officially leave the European Union in favor of a more independent Great Britain. Conservative party advocates around the EU are adamant that EU affairs limit the sovereignty of their respective nations and view the European economic state as a pending crisis that they are anxious to avoid.

Despite predictions of a coming decline in the Britain's economy, Britain continues to denounce the claim of capital flight, which argues that banks and commerce will begin to leave Britain in favor of continental Europe.30 Additionally, Brexit supporters claim that the UK does not need the EU to prosper internationally and that the EU does not have the UK’s interests in mind. This argument is especially poignant to the public upon seeing evidence that the UK was one of ten EU member countries who gave more to the European budget than they benefitted from31, third only to France and Germany.

UK membership in the EU made transfers of money, people, and products relatively easy. Big corporations headquartered in London, a financial hub of Europe, were and continue to be extremely worried about the consequences leaving will have on their industries. The pound is currently dropping in value and some British corporations who were mainly on the “stay” side have already begun to the

30http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-25/brexit-leads-three-quarters-of-britain-s-ceos-to- consider-moving31 http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887

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process of moving their headquarters elsewhere in order to remain in the EU market where tariffs and economic protectionism is not a hindrance.

Germany and France's right wing parties sustain their Euro-skepticism by arguing that their respective countries benefit too little to merit the large spending that goes into the EU. Conservatives of smaller countries base their anti-EU policy on the belief that they could fare better without the “overbearing” policies of the EU. They believe that it is their right to decline any quotas or international agreements on the basis of sovereignty. Anti-EU conservatives across the continent take this stance, generally defending the claim that the EU system of collaboration is truly an oppression of national sovereignty.32

Most Prominent Far Right Parties of Europe

- Note that many countries have several far right parties - Note that other E.U. countries that will not be present at this conference, such as Slovakia,

Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Switzerland and Finland are largely controlled by recognized far right parties.

France- The National Front (FN) led by Marine le Pen Germany- Alternative for Germany (AfD led by Frauke Petry*Poland- Law and Justice (PiS) led by Jarosalw Kaczyński Greece- Golden Dawn led by Nikolaos Michaloliakos**Denmark- Danish People’s Party led by Kristian Thulesen DahlUK- United Kingdom Independence Party led by Nigel Farange*Belgium- New Flemish Alliance led by Bart de WeverAustria- Freedom Party of Austria led by Heinz-Christian StracheSweden- Sweden Democrats led by Jimmie ÅkessonHungary- Jobbik led by Gábor VonaNetherlands- Party for Freedom led by Geert Wilders

* the party is the governing party of the country** the party give parliamentary support in their country

In terms of the rise of nationalist conservative groups, the president of the EU’s unelected executive arm has recently declared that “there will be no debate or dialogue with the far-right.”33 As of 2014, the European Commission can enact Article 7 TEU, which is a “rule of law mechanism” against nations determined as deviating from “the common constitutional traditions of all Member States.” If the article is put into effect, sanctions could be imposed and the country could be stripped of funding and voting rights in the EU. This article was primarily directed at far right groups and was first used in

32 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uctp100/SciencesPo_slides.pdf33http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/05/24/eu-vows-use-new-powers-block-elected-far-right-populists-power/

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January 2016 against the Polish government elected in 2015. At the time, the new government was feuding with their own constitutional courts about the appointment of new liberal judges, and surprisingly the EU gave the government an ultimatum to back down.34 This was unprecedented action of an international body in the affairs of a sovereign democratic country. Many far right parties are very vocal about their opposition to the EU as a governing force of the region, some actively supporting their country’s withdrawal. This sentiment has been even more prominent since Britain’s right wing parties successfully passed a referendum to leave the EU. Several countries already have conservative nationalist parties in power and many others have had political success in parliaments. As they continue to gain political power, will the EU step in to prevent their success or will more and more countries leave the EU system?

In light of recent events, most notably, the Brexit referendum, in September of 2016, EU leaders have made plans to “revitalize confidence and unity in the face of festering divisions barred by the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU” through improved security, reduction in illegal migration, economic growth, trade and prosperity for the alliance's disaffected citizens. The EU has reaffirmed its “shared values” and has newly committed itself to helping its citizens. The EU ministers declared unanimously "Although one country has decided to leave, the EU remains indispensable for the rest of us.” In the spirit of negotiation, even EU member

states that had previously declared that they would “not accept one single Muslim migrant” have amended their positions. But tensions still exist; the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia said in a public statement "Europe can only be strong if the member states and their citizens have a strong say in the decision-making process.” The EU needs to "deliver legislation and actions that have added value for the European citizens.”35 In this cautionary remark the group calls attention to the intra European tensions that remain and the feeling that the EU is not passing legislation that has added value for the European citizens. While pledges have been made it is evident that much work still needs to be done if the future of the EU is to be secured. Although Germany’s Prime Minister has said that the EU should maintain close relations with Britain and should even offer an opportunity for the UK’s return, this EU summit in September is focusing on rallying the rest of the EU countries to prevent any others from leaving.

Questions to Consider:- Should measures be taken to ensure that additional countries don’t leave the European Union,

eventually resulting in the dissolution of the international establishment altogether?

34http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/05/24/eu-vows-use-new-powers-block-elected-far-right-populists-power/35http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/09/16/eu-urges-brutally-honest-talks-over-future/90458396/

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- Will any policies be created causing Britain to revoke the activation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which specifies how to leave the EU?

- Is it the responsibility of the EU to suppress violence instigated by right wing extremism?- How can the EU balance national sovereignty and the necessity for member countries to work

together to manage the refugee crisis?- Should the EU modify its policies to give greater autonomy to member states, thus catering to the

rise of nationalist sentiment?- Can the EU continue to exist given the growing Euro-skepticism in a number of states?- At what point does the EU lose its efficacy as an international institution?

Sample Country Positions

FranceThe French government, particularly President Francois Hollande, resents such nationalistic tendencies, particularly in response to Britain’s pending exit from the European Union. In the wake of recent terrorist attacks on French soil, Hollande believes that a united European front will be the best way to combat terrorist groups such as ISIS36, and met with Italian Premier Renzi, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss national defense, security, and the economy in Europe following Britain’s historic referendum. France is concerned about the example of rising nationalism that Brexit has provided37, and the possibility that other countries with rising nationalistic sentiments will get ideas to leave the European Union, as well, if Britain fares well. France is exploring the possibility of heightened economic consequences towards Britain so that other, nationalistic countries won’t be as motivated to leave the

EU38, particularly over the concern that Britain won’t have to pay into the European Union, but will still be able to access the free and single market nevertheless. In contrast to President Hollande, however, Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front Nationale Party, is now calling for a “Frexit” Referendum39, to leave the EU and achieve a similar outcome to the United Kingdom, and is calling for other EU countries to initiate similar referendums of their own. Le Pen pledges that, if she wins the French Presidency in next year’s election, she would commence negotiations with the European Union regarding French sovereignty issues such as that of their currency, or, failing that, would

36http://bigstory.ap.org/article/41793b7406c7438a922ac6ce9c3a5da7/latest-leaders-pay-tribute-eu- symbolic-birthplace37 https://www.ft.com/content/6cd15008-3ac9-11e6-8716-a4a71e8140b038 http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/marine-le-pen-prepares-for-a-frexit39 http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/marine-le-pen-prepares-for-a-frexit

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call for a referendum40. Since 2011, the Front Nationale party has been gaining traction as a mainstream party in France. (Left:) A Front Nationale Rally in France.

GermanyGermany is resistant to the rising right-wing nationalistic parties that are taking hold throughout Europe, particularly in light of their nationalistic history during and following the Second World War. However, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is also gaining traction in German politics41, in response to growing economic and political disillusionment. The AfD party was founded in 2013, in response to Germany’s growing involvement in the European Union. In response to Brexit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern for the United Kingdom, and for the fact that the German government will likely have to pick up the tab for Britain’s newly absent contributions to the EU budget42.

UNHCRThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is the branch of the United Nations particularly dedicated to the welfare and placement of refugees within all member states of the UN, and is particularly focused on the relocation of Syrian refugees in the European Union at this time, as well as the toll Brexit, and the rising nationalist sentiment will take on their chances of successful migration and relocation within the EU during and directly following the Syrian Civil War.

United KingdomThe United Kingdom has clearly reached the breaking point of rising nationalism in the UK, and will have to face the economic and political effects of their referendum and resulting vote to leave in the coming years. The rising, nationalistic, Conservative Party, succeeded in their hopes to achieve political and economic independence from the European Union, despite the opposition of previous PM David Cameron, also a fellow Conservative, but one aware of the dire economic effects that a vote to leave could have on the United Kingdom43.

(Left:) Boris Johnson, leader of the Brexit “Leave” movement in the United Kingdom

HungaryHungarian PM Viktor Orban is concerned about the effect Brexit could have on the future of the European Union, and on international relations among the entity as a whole, although he is in sympathy

40 http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/706909/Frexit-France-Le-Pen-national-front-Brexit-president-elections41 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/afd-germany-alternative-fur-deutschland-elections-map-statista-party-a7226956.html

42 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/09/26/europe-will-be-hit-harder-by-brexit-than-britain-german-business/43 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/09/26/europe-will-be-hit-harder-by-brexit-than-britain-german-business/

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with the nationalistic positions of the anti-refugee sentiment, and will thus hold a Hungarian referendum this Autumn regarding the national responsibility of the Hungary to accept Syrian Refugees44.

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