Potential migrants have seemingly managed to defeat even the most arduous of conditions on maritime routes throughout the winter. In January and February 2015, for example, the number of illegal crossings detected at some border hotspots, including the Central Mediterranean, the Western Balkans and the land border between Turkey and Bulgaria, reached new records.
Stefano Bertozzi is a Senior Adviser at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Migration continues to be an integral part of the political landscape in several European capitals, especially at a time when national or local elections are approaching. Nearly all EU member states are under pressure in one way or another from external challenges, but some are under constant pressure from migration flows.
