In the past year, news of the European migrant crisis has faded from the front pages of American news outlets. While, for a time, the news was saturated with photographs of refugees from war-torn places arriving on Greece’s shores by boat or crowded into camps, these photos no longer seem to be featured anymore. So what happened to the migrants and refugees? Have they found new homes, new jobs, assimilated, and recovered from the trauma of their leaving? Is the European migrant crisis over? 

To put it simply: no. 

The European Migrant crisis began in 2015. The huge influx of people fleeing their homelands created a humanitarian crisis in Europe as countries struggled to provide the resources needed to successfully take in mass amounts of suffering people. It quickly became a point of political contention. 

According to the UN, there are currently 13.1 million people in Syria requiring humanitarian assistance. While a portion of these people have fled, neighboring countries have made it increasingly difficult for refugees to cross their borders, leaving some stranded and unstable; meanwhile, conflict in Syria continues to ravish the country. Violence in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as poverty and political abuse in other countries, has resulted in a number of refugees and migrants seeking safety elsewhere. 

The voyage to the European Union is made by land or by sea. Sea voyages are extremely dangerous and have resulted in a large number of deaths. In 2017 more than 3,100 people died crossing the Mediterranean. 

The European migrant crisis is not at an end. This week it was reported that a migrant rescue boat was barred from docking in Italy and Malta, finally being accepted by Spain. Despite Spain offering its aid, the nation is struggling to keep up with incoming sea arrivals. This occurrence follows the EU deal made last month to limit migrant travel. With this deal the EU has decided to limit the inflow of migrants based on whether the region from which they are coming fits the EU designation of a war zone. 

If you are interested in staying up to date with the most current news about the migrant crisis, the United Nations posts a consistent refugee brief each week.