2015 European migrant crisis

A period of sharply increased migration into Europe, especially by people fleeing war and persecution, that intensified in 2015 and strained asylum systems and border policies.

Syrian civil war: A conflict that began in Syria in 2011 and displaced millions of people. War and state violence made Syrians the largest group seeking protection in Europe during the crisis.
European Union asylum policy: The laws and institutions governing asylum applications and protection across the European Union. Shared rules met uneven national capacity as arrivals concentrated at the Union's external borders.
European migrant crisis political impact: Political changes in Europe associated with the increased migration of 2015 and its aftermath. Disagreement over asylum and borders strengthened conflicts among governments and within domestic politics.
Refugee: A person outside their country who meets the legal criteria for international protection from persecution or serious harm. Many arrivals qualified for protection, while the broader label “migrant” did not specify legal status.
War in Afghanistan: A decades-long conflict involving Afghan governments, insurgent groups, and foreign military forces. Conflict and insecurity contributed to Afghan arrivals, one of the crisis's largest national groups.
Dublin Regulation: An EU rule assigning responsibility for examining an asylum application, usually to the country of first entry. It placed disproportionate registration duties on frontline states such as Greece and Italy.
European migrant crisis border controls: Border measures adopted or tightened by European states in response to increased migration. Several states introduced fences, checks, or restrictions as arrivals moved across Europe.
Economic migration: Movement to another country primarily to improve economic prospects or living conditions. It is often contrasted with flight from persecution, though people’s motives can overlap.
Eritrean diaspora: Communities of Eritreans living outside Eritrea, formed through successive waves of migration and exile. Repression and indefinite national service drove many Eritreans toward European asylum systems.
European migrant relocation scheme: An EU plan to redistribute asylum seekers from Greece and Italy among member states. The 2015 scheme attempted to ease pressure on frontline countries but faced limited participation.

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