DOI: 10.7256/2454-0641.2020.1.32142

Abstract:  Whenever any state’s sovereignty is threatened, its first instinct is to protect itself. In 2015, the European Union was in the spotlight, recording unprecedented numbers of migrants, and as a result, refugee camps deteriorated to deplorable conditions. Illegal migration was perceived as a security threat in Europe, and member-states were forced to take measures that compromise the very foundation of the European Union. Suddenly, their policies were fuelled with anti-immigration sentiments; anti-immigration operations and agreements between the EU and migrants’ countries of origin were conducted and signed, as well as tougher border security policies were put in place, including fences. This resulted in record-low numbers of illegal migration by 2019. This article will analyze European Union’s foreign policy on illegal migration between 2015 and 2019, while underscoring the extreme measures that some states within the EU took to mitigate migration. This research highlights the moral dilemma posed by many Human Rights Organizations, putting into question Europe’s moral compass and values. A conclusion is made that in the matters of security, states are willing to take a moral backseat in order to safeguard its security and position in the global system.