The impact of the 2015 migration crisis on the European Union and its implications for the global refugee governance

The refugee issue is increasingly becoming a global challenge for the international community today. Therefore, this paper focuses on the challenges and impacts of the 2015 migration crisis on the European Union (EU) and its member states. Firstly, this paper analyses the meaning and differences between migrants and refugees. Moreover, the outbreak of the Arab Spring and the Syrian civil war in the Middle East and North Africa has led a tremendous wave of refugees. The huge demand for refugees fleeing their countries has further promoted the creation and growth of illegal immigration organizations. Due to their geographical location, economic and welfare policies, Europe is the region to which most refugees choose to migrate. In addition, this paper focuses on the political, economic, socio-cultural and security challenges posed by the current crisis to the EU and its member States. At the political level, the crisis was cited as a catalyst for Brexit. At the economic level, the crisis is holding back Europe's economic development. At the socio-cultural level, the crisis has intensified the confrontation between mainstream Christian values in Europe and cultural values of Islam. At the security level, the crisis has increased the number of terrorist attacks in Europe. The European Union has responded with a series of measures to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis. This crisis has not only drawn the attention of the international community, but also brought inspiration to the international refugee governance.