Effectiveness of European Union Investing in the Country of Origin to Reduce Irregular Migration

Irregular Migration
By (Student Name)
Institutional
Date
The Effectiveness of the European Union Investing in the Country of Origin to Reduce Irregular Migration
To address the research question, both an independent and dependent variable will be used. The independent variable will be, “Economic and political instability in countries of origin.” The variable is independent because it is not affected by the outcome of the situation under investigation, but rather influences the dependent variable. The dependent variable is ‘high rate of irregular migrants entering the EU through Cyprus.” The dependent variable is influenced by the outlined independent variable.
The high rate of irregular migrants entering the EU through Cyprus is a source of concern. But how did Cyprus find itself in such a situation? Trimikliniotis (2022) demonstrates that the biggest change to Cyprus as a migrants’ destination occurred in 2004 when the country became the EU member. Before 2004, the author indicates that the asylum system was underdeveloped with less than 500 people have got refugee status. However, after the EU ascension, Cyprus experienced a sharp rise in the number of applicants, almost 10,000 per year. A majority of migrants to Cyprus enter via the “Green Line” after they have crossed Turkey. Experts agree that irregular migration is overwhelming Cyprus (Düvell and Vollmer, 2009). In an article appearing on Reuters in 2021, Cyprus complained about the number of irregular migrants into the country, indicating the need to curb them. A government official went ahead to indicate the need for the government to suspend asylum applications for individuals entering the country illegally (Kambas, 2021).
At the time, the Cypriot government maintained that the number of irregular migrants exceeded 4% of the population; a figure activist group said was misleading. An Amnesty International (2012) report examines the deficiencies of the Cypriot government in bringing its legislation on migrants in line with international standards. The report titled, “Punishment without a crime: Detention of migrants and asylum-seekers in Cyprus” indicates that detention should not be utilized as a tool for regulating migration. The report demonstrates that Cyprus violates International and EU law when it detains irregular migrants without taking other alternative measures. Further, the report stipulates that the Cypriot government has not demonstrated that the detention of irregular migrants is necessary.
There are reasons why the EU is concerned about the influx of migrants to the region through Cyprus. Refugees create social and economic benefits. Reitano (2015) demonstrates that the large influx of irregular migrants to Cyprus creates a huge burden on the nation’s economy. Since irregular migrants cannot work, they result in low-paying and informal jobs, which drive the wages down and deteriorate working conditions. With the exploitation of migrants, the social cohesion of the country is jeopardized. At the same time, the EU is bound by international and regional human rights laws on refugees that demonstrate the need for states to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers (Lamber...