THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. Reforming Europe in a time of war

THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 54 Ukraine, to demonstrate to the European Union and its Member States that there are two ways of managing migratory asylum policies: one which is dreadful, causing death, suffering and not actually stopping people who need to flee from arriving while lining people traffickers’ pockets; and another effective, human way that manag- es arrivals, reception and protection much more agilely, positively and efficiently, without criminalising refugees, who have experienced misfortune enough to be forced to leave everything behind and flee their homes. The European Union’s management of the crisis in Ukraine in terms of reception and protection demon- strates the urgent need for there to be a change in the focus of migratory and asylum policies, as soon as possible. To date, these policies have mainly highlighted security-based aspects, iron-clad control of borders and trying to stop people arriving, even though it has been demonstrated that this focus is unsuccessful, erratic and unkind. Consequently, we should highlight this experience to demand that these best practices should be transferred to build a common focus, prioritising solidarity and shared responsibility from all member countries. The institution- al message to whoever was fleeing and needed shelter was key to generate a feeling of empathy with Ukrain- ians, leading to a spectacular show of citizen solidarity Opening the borders of the surrounding countries, solidarity from other States, evidence that if there is po- litical intent, the response will not just be focused on the emergency, so developing instruments from the Pact should be laying the foundations for a joint structural migratory and asylum policy.