“The current refugee and illegal migrant crisisin Europe has taken several years to boil to surface. As European Union governments struggle to accept and relocate refugees, their attention seems to be shortsightedly focused on the immediate issue of how this crisis is affecting EU countries. Unfortunately, the situation is much larger than just the EU. As member states and other European countries clamp down on accepting asylum seekers and refugees, they trap refugees and illegal migrants in entry and transit countries. Based on current migration patterns, this will be most severely felt in the Western Balkans and could have serious unintended consequences for Europe in the form of a second wave of refugees. What is needed is a holistic and proactive approach to understanding and resolving this challenge.

If European leaders and policymakers fail to appreciate and take preventive measures to deal with this crisis, it has the potential to destabilize the entire Western Balkan region. The results could prompt a second and larger wave of asylum seekers, including a large number of Western Balkan nationals…”

Excerpt from Valbona Zeneli and Joespeh Vann, “A Burden on the Balkans,” per Concordiam: Journal of European Security Defense Issues 7, No. 1, 2016: 60-63.

This article reflects the views of the author and are not necessarily the official policy of the United States, Germany, or any other governments.