Political and legal framework of contemporary migrations in southeast Europe

Abstract

The phenomenon of human migrations is as old as the civilization. The reasons why people choose to change their place of residence are complex and subject to frequent changes. That is why the classification of migration is a very complex matter, both for legal and security theorists. However, international legal regulations have been adopted, which provide rights for migrants. On the other hand, the given rights to freedom of movement and protection from persecution are limited by state sovereignty, as historical, legal and political category. When supranational international organizations, such as the European Union and other regional organizations, are added to national sovereignty, the difficulty of legal regulation of that matter can be understood. Countries in the region are trying to adapt to circumstances arising from mass migrations through their respective territories, where each is led primarily by political decisions based on national interests, in the absence of a broader, European migration policy that would be a comprehensive effort to solve the afore mentioned problem. The Southeast European region is a transit hub for smuggling, trafficking and illegal migrations in general, which requires further caution of competent authorities when classifying certain categories of migrants and, therefore, the compliance with international and domestic standards regarding their guaranteed rights. The aim of this paper is to analyze global and regional migrations and their future trends, with a focus on South East European region, as well as to establish basic motives that cause migration processes and their classification, which could be used for the proper treatment of migrants in accordance with their rights and the respective national legislation.