THE EU׳S REGIONAL REFUGEES APPROACH: A DOUBLE-EDGED, BUT PROMISING APPROACH

The European Union has drawn on its migration policy in the Middle East and North Africa as a method of region-building that takes resilience as its “Governing Principle” when responding to crises. The central theme of resilience is to keep refugees closer to their home instead of flowing into Europe. This approach might be promising, yet it has both positive and negative effects. In the absence of adequate resources, resilience building may exacerbate the economic, political and social vulnerabilities already existing in these countries. In addition, resilience does not seem to put an end to the refugees’ suffering which, in turn, leads to increasing demands for better services, which could ultimately lead to violent riots that endanger the security of these states. Hence, resilience may seem to jeopardise rather than safeguard the security of these hosts.