Nowadays, the common denominator of involvement of the EastCentral Europe in the international arena, and above all, the premise determining community of interest expressed in the European Union is the migration crisis. Despite the different circumstances of activity in the context of the migration crisis, states in the region express similar opinions on the consequences of immigration for security in the region. Above all, they emphasise the implications of immigration for the internal security of states. Given the complex nature of migration, this article focuses on the phenomenon of immigration in the EU, determining the causes of the escalation of the influx of immigrants and, above all, identifying the consequences for the security of states of East-Central Europe.

Solidarity as one of the main values of the European Union is also recognizedamong the guiding principles of the EU asylum policy. In the period of the migrationcrisis, this principle was the most important for the EU Member Statesand very difficult to implement. The purpose of this article is to analyze the concept of solidarity, as enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty, as well as in the positions of the Member States and EU institutions. The article highlights the current debate, initiated by the Visegrad group under the Slovakian Presidency in the Council, around the proposed “flexible” or “effective solidarity” in asylum policy. Thus, the author contributes to understanding the ways, problems and prospects of refugees’ relocation, as well as the upcoming reform of the Dublin system. Based on the study of the summits conclusions, Council meetings in its various formats, the EU leaders’ statements, the author considers that divergence not only of the Member States positions, but also those of the EU institutions on the specific forms of participation in managing migration and asylum could entail more fragmentation and differentiation within the Union. At the same time, the author reveals the contradiction in the Visegrad countries’ position: while dreaming about re-nationalization of asylum and engaging in confrontation with the Commission the CEE countries by no means intend to introduce and maintain border control within the Schengen area.

Nowadays, migration of people on the territory of the European Union has become one of the factors determining Poland’s foreign policy and determining its bilateral relations due to the scale and dynamics of this phenomenon. Notwithstanding the fact that Poland, unlike other EU Member States directly bearing the costs of mass influx of migrants, is not a target country for migrants, the migration crisis associated with mass influx of people also indirectly affects the Polish reality. Emphasizing the implications of the migration crisis from the point of view of state security consistently strengthens critical opinions in Poland and at the same time determines the reluctance of the Polish society to accept immigrants (mainly from the Middle East and North Africa). The article focuses on the repercussions of the migration crisis from the perspective of Polish-German relations. The basis for this research area is, on the one hand, the role of Germany in the context of the migration crisis and, on the other, the presentation of different positions by Poland and Germany regarding the methods of stopping the inflow of migrants into the EU.

The aim of this article is to analyze Polish foreign policy, its nature and instruments of implementation under the migration crisis. The migration issue is in this case the determinant of foreign policy, which verified and actuated Polish external policies in the bilateral relations, as well as in the framework of multilateral cooperation. The migration issue has also become a determinant of European policy of Poland prejudging the extent and mechanisms of Polish involvement in the solution of the migration crisis in European institutions. It should be noted that a different approach to EU policies and its activities to prevent and mitigate the effects of the influx of people on its territory is reflected in the relations between Member States, as exemplified by the Polish-German relations. The migration issue is also reflected in the activities of the Visegrad Group. Fear of the consequences of mass migration into the EU and, above all, opposition to the obligation to accept refugees based on the quota system proposed by the European Commission intensified cooperation within the Visegrad Group. From the Polish foreign policy perspective, the Visegrad Group is seen as an important entity influencing its effects.

The perception of Europe and Europeans by refugees from Dahuk. A report from research conducted in a refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan

This article presents the analysis from a research project carried out by the author in Dahuk, a refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan in July 2016. The research project concerned the perception of Europe and Europeans by Arabs and Yazidis, who stayed in the refugee camp. Based on unstructured observations and in-depth interviews, the following images of Europe and Europeans were prominent in refugees’ narratives: a belief in the possibility of quick enrichment in Europe, relaxed relationships between family and friends in Europe, relaxed relations between women and men in Europe and the liberal lifestyle of European women. Based on the gathered data, the author analyses chances of respondents’ integration in Europe. The author focuses on factors conducive to integration and factors that impede integration. This subject has gained particular importance during the recent migration crisis. The arrival of big number of refugees from the Middle East to Europe once again sparked public debates about the possibility for their integration in Europe.

Analyzing Poland’s current activity regarding the influx of refugees and the formulated attitude towards action in the field of restriction and control of the influx undertaken by European and international institutions, one should notice increasing reluctance to accept immigrants. What is more, there is a growing trend in the public debate in Poland to identify (to correlate) the influx of refugees with the problem of security. Although Poland is neither located on the main transit routes nor a destination for immigrants (including refugees), there is a process of systematically including this issue in the public discourse and analyzing the consequences of the potential increase in the influx of immigrants in the context of state security. Relationships that arise at the interface between migration and security point to the process of securitization of immigration, which involves integrating migration issues into a catalogue of state security threats and considering them through the lens of possible threats to the receiving societies.

Characteristics of Polish Migration Policy in the Context of the European Refugee Crisis

Migration policy, which until recently was absent in public space, has found its place in public debate and scientific research in recent years. Undoubtedly, the migration policy gained in popularity in 2015, when migrants began to migrate to Europe on a massive scale and the situation of their uncontrolled influx was described as a migration crisis. Although migration is a common phenomenon and has been known for years, increased migratory movements require countries to pursue a well-considered and consistent policy in this area. The situation in Europe has prompted reflection on Polish policy towards foreigners, which at that time, was different from European standards.

Osiągnięcie wysokiego poziomu bezpieczeństwa wewnętrznego jest jednym z priorytetów Unii Europejskiej. Politykę bezpieczeństwa wewnętrznego UE realizuje, dbając o przestrzeń wolności, bezpieczeństwa i sprawiedliwości. Wobec kryzysu migracyjnego, który trwa już od wielu lat, a obecnie ma nowe oblicze, przed UE pojawiają się nowe wyzwania. UE musi zacieśnić współpracę na wielu poziomach tak, by zapewnić jak najwyższy poziom bezpieczeństwa. Agencje UE wspomagające współpracę w bezpieczeństwie wewnętrznym angażują się w walkę z efektami kryzysu migracyjnego i wspierają siły państwowe przy ochronie granic. Rolę jednej z nich –Europolu – oraz działającego w jego ramach Europejskiego Centrum Zwalczania Przemytu Migrantów – EMSC warto poruszyć w aspekcie rozważań nad współpracą w bezpieczeństwie wewnętrznym. Odpowiedź na kryzys migracyjny musi być bardziej kompleksowa i brać pod uwagę potrzeby zarówno migrantów, jak i państw przyjmujących czy tranzytowych.

Italian Migration Policy

Italy, due to it is geographical location, is extremely exposed to migratory movements. Over the past few decades, the Republic has undergone a far-reaching transformation from sending to receiving country. A country in which a migration policy practically did not exist had to build it from scratch quite quickly, which was associated with many of its disadvantages, reformed over time. A breakthrough moment was the migration crisis initiated in 2011 and caused by the Arab Spring in North Africa. It was a real test not only for the Italian migration policy, but in retrospect also for the entire European Union, where, unfortunately, there was no enough solidarity.

Constitutional Duty to Protect Polish Borders in the Light of the Crisis on the Border with Belarus

The duty of each state established by internal law is to protect its borders. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland, referring to the need to ensure the integrity of the territory and the security and inviolability of its borders, gives this duty priority. The crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border poses a serious threat to both the Baltic countries and the European Union. The methods and means used to end it are primarily intended to ensure border security, which is a particularly difficult task given the hybrid nature of the actions carried out by Belarus. The possibility of response and reaction of Polish services is limited by the need to respect human rights, international law regulations and democratic rules, which the Republic of Belarus does not feel bound by. The use of the state of emergency made it possible to focus efforts on combating the crisis, but the question arises how the situation will develop after it is lifted.

Migration processes in Sub-Saharan Africa

The peculiarities of migration flows in Sub-Saharan Africa, the appearance of conflicts and the process of their arrangement are described in the article. The author examines the main migration trends, reasons, directions, specific features of migration in this region, attempts to show the intercommunication between migration and conflict on the example of the region and determines the degree of mutual influence. The author focuses on the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa is a complex structural system consisting of politically independent elements that frequently interact according to the orderly process. The elements of the system such as states, IGOs, NGOs and politicians cooperate with each other in public relations, create its structure and strengthen the system’s integrity.

Currently, Türkiye is a country with the largest number of refugees in the world. Over 3.7 million of them come from Syria. At the beginning of the migration crisis which affected European Union member states, Türkiye as a transit destination provided refugees with a place at Temporary Accommodation Centers (TACs). After signing the agreement with the European Union (on March, 21 2016) and with the increasing number of refugees in Türkiye, it became impossible to place all of them in refugee camps. Syrians began to migrate not only to border cities and towns, but also to Istanbul and other Turkish metropolises. This article aims to show the impact of refugees on the situation of Istanbul and other Turkish cities. The analysis is intended to answer the following questions: how did refugees change the structure of Turkish cities? How did the migrations of the Syrian community affect the border cities of Türkiye and the metropolises in the western and central part of the country? Which socio-economic problems did the increase in the number of refugees generate in Türkiye? What kind of social problems arose in Turkish cities with the arrival of Syrian refugees?

While the crises of 2015 and 2022, albeit with different burdens and responsibilities, were pan- European, the crisis on the Polish-Belarusian and Polish-Lithuanian borders can be considered as a regional crisis in which the countries directly affected are involved. For this reason, this crisis is the least studied and recognized outside the country. The aim of the article is to present the genesis, course, and consequences of the crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border in the context of European law. The Polish government has challenged the basic regulations regarding the right to apply for international protection, citing issues of national security protection, as well as using a sovereign narrative. The research hypothesis assumes that the previously Europeanised migration and asylum policy has been nationalised in Poland in connection with the actions of the Polish authorities in response to the crisis. The analysis will be conducted through the prism of the theory of Europeanization, using elements of securitization theory.

Within the article activity of media broadcasters during the migration crisis of 2015 has been analysed – the crisis whose peak coincided with the period of political campaign preceding the parliamentary elections in Poland. In this context, strong emphasis on issues related to the migration crisis, which had become one of the leading themes of the parliamentary campaign, could have been expected in Polish press market, especially taking into consideration strong political affiliations of weekly opinion magazines existing in the said market at the time. In the presented article, 207 issues of the following opinion weeklies have been analysed: “Newsweek”, “Polityka”, “wSieci” and “Do Rzeczy”, in order to determine the media importance of migration-related themes and of the level of political parallelism of the studied media (political/axiological or party profiling of media releases). The study used the content analysis method with reference to the concept of framing.