This article was exclusively written for the Sting by Mrs Lizzy Morgan. The writer is the Medsin-UK’s director of finance. She is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA). However, the opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one. The recent refugee […]Migration crisis: how big a security threat it is?
January 4, 2017 by Leave a Comment
This article was exclusively written for the Sting by Mrs Lizzy Morgan. The writer is the Medsin-UK’s director of finance. She is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA). However, the opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one. The recent refugee […]EU prepares for the worst case scenario as Turkey seems to be withdrawing from the migration deal
December 14, 2016 by 2 Comments
The EU Foreign Ministers convened in Brussels two days ago with Austria calling for a tougher stance towards the Turkish membership urging the EU to freeze negotiations due to the recent security crackdown in Turkey. The EU leaders will discuss the EU-Turkey refugee deal on Thursday which is directly linked to the Turkish accession talks. Erdogan […]At the edge of humanity: refugee healthcare in Greece and the EU
December 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
This article was exclusively written for the Sting by Ms Eleana Strouthou. The writer is a second year medical student at European University Cyprus Nicosia. Mrs Strouthou is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA). We were driving in Lesvos, Greece, passing by the people walking towards the port, a 12-hour distance by feet. “Stop there, let’s help the […]Turkey’s Erdogan provokes the US and the EU by serving jihadists and trading on refugees
December 1, 2016 by 3 Comments
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, after having declared war against the political, judiciary and civic structures of his own country, employs the same belligerent tactics in the domain of foreign policy. He now threatens to send to Europe 3 million refugees and immigrants who are stationed in Turkey. True, more than three million people, […]How will the EU face the migration crisis when the Turkish threats come true?
November 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 24 November calling for the negotiations to be suspended between the EU and the Turkish government until the latter ends its suppressive and dominant response to July’s failed coup. But this decision has triggered immediate reactions by the Turkish and European sides. While the president of Turkey threatens to […]The migration crisis is slowly melting the entire EU edifice
October 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last Sunday Hungary voted against the EU mandatory migration plan of accepting 1,294 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece but the referendum’s outcome was considered invalid because it didn’t reach the required threshold of 50%. Hence, it has no legal consequences and Hungary is obliged to follow the EU rules, which implies that the member […]How can entrepreneurship tackle the migration crisis in the EU?
September 30, 2016 by 2 Comments
Exclusively written for the Sting by Mr João Malhadeiro, a young entrepreneur affiliated to the European Confederation of Junior Entreprises (JADE). The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not The European Sting’s position on the issue. 1,011,700. When you think of this number what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Iceland’s population? […]UN member states express their will to tackle global migration but specific actions are still missing
September 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last Monday the world leaders convened at the UN’s summit in New York and adopted the New York Declaration for Migrants and Refugees; a document that contains commitments about dealing with the global issue of the large movements of refugees and migrants around the globe. All 193 countries have agreed to share global responsibility in order to […]Will Merkel ever steer the EU migration Titanic and restore her power in Germany?
September 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Angela Merkel’s meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the sidelines of the 11th G20 Summit held in China on 4-5 September was crucial for her political future. The German Chancellor and her party seem to be losing ground, particularly in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania due to their migration policies. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany lost 4 […]Is it just visa-free travel that Erdogan demands from the EU to not break the migration deal?
August 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last Monday Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, mentioned in the German newspaper Bild that Turkey is most likely to step out of the refugee deal signed with the EU last March unless the latter provides to the Turks visa-free travel to the bloc in October. These comments come only a few days after the Turkish […]Turkey to let EU alone struggle with the migrant crisis while enhancing its economic ties with Russia instead?
August 10, 2016 by 1 Comment
The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met the Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday in St. Petersburg to improve their relationships after the sanctions that Russia imposed on tourism and Turkish exports due to the deadly air fighter incident that took place last November, when Turkey took down a Russian fighter. Turkey’s approach towards a revival of a […]Will Europe be able to deal with the migration crisis alone if Turkey quits the pact?
August 4, 2016 by 2 Comments
The European Union keeps on focusing on the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement on the migration crisis despite being threatened by Turkey that the latter will step off the deal if the EU will not keep its last March’s promises. The European Commission is determined not to let Turkey leave so easily and aims at financially supporting refugees […]Europe provides financial support to African countries while Turkey denies to change terrorism laws jeopardising the EU deal
June 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The European Commission convened yesterday in Strasbourg and announced its plans to create a Partnership Framework with third countries and particularly Africa in order to manage migration more effectively. This attempt comes after the EU-Turkey deal which aims at reducing the influx of immigrants coming to Europe via the Aegean Sea. It seems that the […]Europe bows to Turkey’s rulers, sends Syrian refugees back to chaos
April 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last Saturday we learned from his own lips that the President of the European Council Donald Tusk has “thick skin”. Of course, people who follow the political day-to-day of the Council already knew it. Tusk made this statement last Saturday from Turkey, a country where thick skin politicians are in abundance. The President of the […]To Brexit or not to Brexit: British exceptionalism doesn’t allow any Obama telling Brits what to do
April 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Barack Obama visited the UK last week clearly in an attempt to boost the “Remain” campaign urging Britain to stay within the EU. This move has not yet been exactly measured as beneficial or not for David Cameron’s campaign but has certainly caused several reactions to the British voters about two months before the referendum. The […]Can Greece’s devastating economy deal with the migration crisis?
April 13, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The European Commission’s assessment on the Action Plan where Greece describes how to cope with migration deficiencies regarding its external border control reveal that the Southern country has shown remarkable improvement but there are still many points that need to be addressed and improved. What is more, the Commission made clear on yesterday’s press release […]EU-Turkey deal on migrants kicked off but to who’s interest?
April 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last Monday, 4 April, Greece and Turkey kicked off the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement. For migrants and refugees alike it foresees deportation from the Greek islands to Turkey, just some dangerous miles eastwards, over rough sea straights at times. Ankara is to receive from Brussels € 3+3 billion for that. During the past twelve […]Is there a chance for the West to win the war on terror?
March 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
On the night of 13 November 2015 in Paris, after the ISIS operatives had hit almost simultaneously a concert hall, a major football stadium and some restaurants and bars leaving 130 dead and hundreds injured, the French President Francois Hollande said “we are at war”. Last Tuesday morning the same kind of ‘armed forces’ and […]Merkel had it her way with the refugees & immigrants but can Greece and Turkey deliver?
March 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Early in the morning of 7th March, ahead of the first meeting in the series of the latest traumatic gatherings of the 28 EU leaders with the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, this newspaper argued that the EU had to prove on that day it could remain in one piece. This didn’t happen then. Last […]Why is Merkel’s Germany so liberal with the refugees? Did the last elections change that?
March 17, 2016 by Leave a Comment
There are many lessons to be learned from last Sunday’s elections in Germany. For one thing, the widely expected electoral setback that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) experienced last Sunday doesn’t seem to constitute a major blow to her dominant political status. She continues to be the central […]Migration crisis update: What are the chances of a fair deal at this EU Summit?
March 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Everyone in Europe is putting all his money for the migration crisis ‘gamble’ on the EU-Turkey summit taking place this week on March 17-18 in Brussels. The 28 EU leaders had a bit more than a week now since the last summit to evaluate the proposals of the Turkish side and return to the table of negotiations in order to make a […]An entrepreneurial point-of view on tackling the migration crisis and the risks of abolishing Schengen
March 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment
This article was exclusively written for the Sting by Mrs Kassandra Petersen, Vice-President of the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises (JADE). Being the Head of Public Affairs of a European Confederation of Junior Enterprises and being out at major events in Brussels, has not been easy in the last months. Whenever the question regarding my nationality […]Spending another 3 billion euros on Turkey feels better than admitting EU’s failure
March 8, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The migration summit which took place yesterday in Brussels between the 28 EU leaders and the Prime Minister of Turkey was a surprise. The reason is that Ahmet Davutoglou came to the meeting with specific proposals which are able to allow Turkey to take the upper hand and take advantage of the refugee crisis to better […]The EU has to prove it can remain one piece
March 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Today the European Union has to prove that it can solve its stalemate, which the immigrant and refugee flows from Asia and Africa have created. Some years ago nobody could imagine that an unseen before movement of people, could lead to the unraveling of the EU project. To deal with this problem, the 28 EU […]Migration crisis update: The “Habsburg Empire” comes back to life while EU loses control
February 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It is today that Austria is arbitrarily hosting a Western Balkan counties migration meeting called “Managing Migration Together” where the Interior and Foreign ministers of seven countries (Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia) have been invited to participate, with Greece, the main migrant gate, to be paradoxically excluded from the discussions. […]The Syrian knot cannot be cut without devastating consequences
February 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Brussels seems quite lost with what is happening now in Syria. The statement issued last Monday 15 February by the European High Representative Mogherini and Commissioner Stylianides on the atrocious and murderous attacks on hospitals and schools in Syria stands as an infallible witness to that. At this point in time, the foreign powers, regional or […]Migration crisis update: Greece could probably say goodbye to Schengen really soon
January 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It was two days ago when the European Commission’s draft report revealed “serious deficiencies” of the Greek government to comply with its obligations under the Schengen’s Agreement rules regarding the control of the migrant influx. If these suggestions are voted by the majority of the EU member states, then Greece will be given a 90 […]The EU bows to Turkey in view of the talks for a political settlement in Syria
January 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment
On 27 April 2015, in relation to the efforts to stem the refugee and immigrant flows to Europe, this newspaper predicted that “Turkey won’t cooperate”. Last Monday this prediction was not only confirmed but the European Union quasi accepted, that so far Turkey has done enough. The relevant passage of the Press release issued by […]WEF Davos 2016 LIVE: “We need more Schengen but reinforce control!”, France’s Minister of Economy Emmanuel Macron emphasises from Davos
January 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Earlier today in Davos, WEF organized one more session on Europe in order to find ways to deal with one of the most important issues that the old continent is facing which is no other than the refugee crisis. The session that took place in the Sanada room was called “Europe at a tipping point” and was moderated by Lyse […]WEF Davos 2016 LIVE: “No other problem has jeopardised the EU as much as the refugee question” Joachim Gauck, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, cries out from Davos
January 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Migration crisis is one of the most important issues in Europe currently and Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum invited yesterday Joachim Gauck, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, to speak about this heartrending problem since the German Chancellor is not attending the WEF this year. The plenary session […]Terrorism and migrants: the two awful nightmares for Europe and Germany in 2016
January 13, 2016 by 2 Comments
Less than two weeks have passed since the dawn of 2016 and terrorism and the migration crisis continue afflicting Europe and especially Germany. Yesterday’s horrible terrorist attack in Istanbul that caused the lives of at least 10 people and left 15 injured shocked the entire world and particularly Angela Merkel since eight Germans were among the victims. Terrorism left […]Schengen is losing ground fast revealing Europe’s clear inability to deal with migration crisis
January 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
It was last Monday when Sweden decided to impose ID-checks at its borders with Denmark. Of course, this action didn’t remain unanswered by Denmark which tightened controls at its southern border with Germany. This anti-Schengen spirit has been created by the influx of migrants and refugees coming to Europe daily in thousands and is meant to stop undocumented […]The New Year 2016 will not be benevolent to Europe
January 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The year that just ended was rather nasty to the European Union and the New Year 2016 won’t be any better. The economic, financial and political problems culminated to the migration crisis in the second half of 2015, with Greece implicated in more than one of the abovementioned predicaments. The lagged reaction of Brussels to […]
