Immigration Policy of Western European States. The Case of Lampedusa

Abstract

Lampedusa – a small island situated in a Mediterranean tourist destination, a symbol of successful leisure and recreation – such a description appears in advertising catalogues in many tourist offices. This idyllic image has become blurred by hundreds of dilapidated boats full of illegal refugees. Since 2010, Lampedusa is the African refugees’ main target for transfer to the European promised land. Even if it is impossible to assess the number of illegal immigrants who have made their way to Europe by sea or land after the Arab Spring, EU member states have decided almost unanimously to „stop mass migration” as a threat to European identity and security. But this self-interested logic has partially failed as the problem is how to help existing immigrant communities adapt to European values while accepting genuine refugees whose inflow is on the rise.