«European migration crisis»/«European refugee crisis» as a challenge to the unity of the European Union

Abstract

The relevance of the research topic is unquestionable according to the importance of the “European migration crisis”/“European refugee crisis” in public and scientific discourses of the European Union and the world. However, according to our observations, existing studies a priori are based on the objective nature of the “European migration crisis”/“European refugee crisis” and almost do not take into consideration its subjective (discursive-cognitive) nature. Thus, the goal of our study is to clarify the impact of perceptions of the “European migration crisis”/“European refugee crisis” on the European integration project (European Union).
The research topic is based on systemic and interdisciplinary approaches, as well as on discursive and cognitive approaches, the use of which, to a large extent, have disclosed the subjective nature of the “European migration crisis”/“European refugee crisis”. In addition, a number of special scientific methods were used. In particular, descriptive and prognostic, sociological and content analysis, historicalgenetic and problem-chronological, etc.
Finally, it has been found that the practical development of this problem depends, to a large extent, on how the “European migration crisis”/“European refugee crisis” is covered at the global, pan-European and national levels. Moreover, even the question of “correct” terminology (as well as the question of related accents and connotations) becomes a “battlefield” of competing discursive practices, through which various actors try to influence the decision-making processes.
The campaign for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union is indicative in this sense. At the same time, the problem of the European Union’s unity, that was revealed and strengthened by the “European migration crisis”/“European refugee crisis” is not limited to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. It is correctly perceived as a “crisis of EU governance”, a “crisis of EU solidarity” and so on.