Leaving the war and oppression, tens of thousands of people are at risk and are looking to find shelter in Europe. Politicians have a strong incentive to give Europe a response to the refugee crisis. Apart from the need to relieve these unhappy people, there is a pressing need not to lose the important medium-term opportunities offered by immigration. The armed conflict that has taken place in some Arab countries has unleashed a huge wave of refugees heading for Europe. However, the attitude towards them varies greatly between countries. Germany, for example, seems to adopt a highly enlightened approach as it is estimated that in 2015 it received 1.1 million refugees, which runs counter to Hungary. Some countries, such as the Czech Republic, are blocking the agreements on a fair burden sharing among the members of the European Union. The main reasons for the flows of refugees and immigrants are unlikely to be eliminated. The wild war in Syria, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the growing populations of poor African states are some of them. The Commission has predicted that three million refugees will come to Europe by 2017.
Around 1 million asylum applications were submitted to the 28 EU countries in 2015, after about 600,000 in 2014, according to EU statistics. These numbers look terrifying, the total number of asylum seekers for the first time in the last five years is about 0, 4% of the EU population. This moderate average conceals the strong differences between EU countries. Sweden has received most refugees from other EU Member States.
As an economic "opportunity", the International Monetary Fund sees the arrival of refugees and immigrants in Europe. Speaking at the IMF-World Bank meeting in Lima, Peru, Fund economist Morris Ombstfeld said that "managing this flow of refugees will undoubtedly burden the budgets in some states. In each country, incorporating these people into the labor market is a challenge. " However, he pointed out that "it will take time but, ultimately, this will be positive for growth in Europe".
The OECD report in May 2014 highlights that migrants and, by extension, appeals make a significant contribution to the labor market while paying more taxes and social security contributions than they receive individually. It appears that where immigration increases, the workforce is growing, and more GDP is expected. Migrants represented the 70% increase in the workforce in Europe over the last ten years. Young immigrants are better educated than those approaching retirement. Migrants contribute significantly to labor market flexibility, especially in Europe, by contributing more to taxes and social contributions than to benefits. Employment is the only determining factor in their net tax contribution. Migration strengthens the working-age population. Migrants come with skills and contribute to the development of human capital in host countries. Immigrants also contribute to technological progress. Understanding these impacts is important if our societies are useful to discuss the role of immigration.
Europeans should not regard refugees as a threat to the internal unity of the European Community. It could be a decisive opportunity for the continent that tends to "grow older" over the years. By 2030, the Union countries will have 16 million fewer people of working age (even with stable net migration). This would lead to collapse of social welfare systems and public finances.
