Ok, so many people are arriving in Europe. Of course a considerable amount of them are legitimate refugees, which means that the EU is legally obliged to help them. But if they’re economic migrants then the EU is NOT legally obliged to let them in.
Well, many of the people entering Europe come through countries such as Eastern and less prosperous European countries. These places are still much safer than Syria, Iraq, etc., but the immigrants pass through them into the richer places such as France and Germany.
Does this make them now economic migrants? What I’m trying to get at is; if these people have already arrived in a relatively safe country but continue on to ‘better’ ones, does this mean they no longer qualify for refugee status?
That exercise of shuffling them around is about the EU receiving them as a single entity, about not forcing those countries they can reach with relative ease to either let them all in or throw them back to sea.
Once you are a refugee, you are a refugee until you find a durable solutions- a permanent and safe home. You cannot be returned to a place where you face danger, or a place that will not accept your refugee status.
A country, however, can legally move you to a third (safe) country that will accept your asylum claim. This is generally discouraged, as it can lead to refugees being jerked around for political reasons.
There is a longstanding tradition that refugees can be returned to a previous country that they could have claimed asylum in. Individual countries implement this differently. The EU has a law that refugees can be returned to their entry point in the EU, as long as this happens in a certain timeframe.
But that system is being challenged by the sheer numbers involved, and the reality that the countries that people are entering first are the least equipped to handle it.
IMHO once they are away from the danger, they are safe. Changing countries at that point makes them economic migrants. So, anyone who is safe in Turkey and takes a boat to Lesbos, or walks from mainland Greece to assorted European destinations - is an economic migrant. This is why the various states - Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, etc. are considering stronger border controls. It’s why the UK is avoiding allowing the thousands camped out around the Chunnel to just waltz into Britain.
OTOH, what else do you expect them to do? Living on handouts in a camp of a million people 100 miles from the Syrian border is not the sort of life anyone would want. Also, history has demonstrated (from what I’ve read in the news over the years) that western countries are quick with promises of money and other aid for refugees in camps, but usually slow to follow through.
So refugee, economic migrant? Depends on definition. If you can’t go home again, you are a refugee. If you can, but the pay is much better where you are going, migrant? Depends on the definition of “home”, too. Original or last place you slept?