Security Aspects of “Migration Crisis” with a special emphasis on Serbia

Abstract

In this work the causes and consequences of the current migrant crisis directed towards the EU countries are analysed. The Balkan route, which is being flooded by the waves of migrants, and along which there is the Republic of Serbia, has an important role and represents one of the main and most frequent land directions.The migrant-refugee crisis, in its proportions, challenges and consequences, represents an important global and regional crisis. Using the so called ”push and pull” model, the main causes that provoked migratory movements towards Europe (wars, the demographic explosion, economic and social factors) have been perceived. In addition, a short overview of the basic characteristics of the so called Balkan migrant route has been given, and then the consequences of the migrant crisis for Serbia have been analysed from the security and economic-social aspects. Serbia as a state has reacted on the crisis in a civilized manner, without erecting the walls, barbed-wired fences or any kind of migrant mistreatment. If the migrations are seen as an inevitable feature of the present time we are living in, and not necessarily as a negative phenomenon, then policies and strategies of migration management should be harmonized with the real trends and problems of the migrants, as restrictively-defined policies which impose stricter rules are to a large extentcontrary to the protection of the basic human rights.