Conference Paper

Last year was the year in which the biggest migration in recent history happened, with more than 1,000,000 new migrants coming to Europe alone. The European Union and many single member states faced the question of whether to accept or reject migrants for the first time. This paper should answer the dilemma of whether migrants will be accepted or refused and how it is handled by the European Union and member states in particular. The paper discusses the differences between the push and pull factors and how they influence countries’ decisions in whether to accept or refuse migrants. It will underline the fact that state signatories of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees have an obligation to take in refugees and cannot deport them to a place where their liberty and life will be put in danger. Push and pull factors determine the character of the border between acceptance and refusal which is currently under serious consideration. Taking into account the recent developments within the European Union, the paper will attempt to answer whether the border is visible or invisible and how migration policies are shaped among the EU members, by presenting several countries through case studies. The main point will be to present a clear understanding of the different approaches and state policies involved.