And even if fighting was to formally stop, Syria’s post-war reckoning will not make the country a safe place for many returning citizens. For a start, the situation inside the country is so complex, and involves so many parties, that it is not a realistic short-term possibility. However, it shouldn’t be regarded as a panacea. So peace in Syria would be the surest way of curbing the number of Syrian refugees. Many Syrians say they would never have left home in the first place if it hadn’t been for the war.
If resettlement remains a luxury then irregular migration will remain the norm. It wouldn’t work unless EU members implement a common asylum policy, and unless a significant number of refugees are resettled rather than a token 10,000. However, it would allow Europe to manage the crisis better by controlling the flow of refugees, and their destinations. This would not stop the boats entirely, and it will not satisfy those who think that migration is a possibility to be averted rather than an inevitability to be mitigated. The swift, managed resettlement of, say, 2 million people from those countries could therefore persuade many others to remain in transit countries until their applications are processed. Syrians, Eritreans and Afghans form the vast bulk of those fleeing to Europe. So one of the few things that would convince them to delay their sea crossing would be the realistic chance of reaching Europe through legal means. When asked why they take such dangerous journeys to reach Europe, most refugees say it’s because they have no safer option. Read more 2) Provide a safe and swift alternative to a meaningful number of refugees