The odyssey of asylum-seekers and the failure of EU regulations

By PAOLO SANTALUCIA
Associated Press

SALERNO, Italy (AP) — More than 236,000 people have entered European Union borders irregularly so far this year, according to International Organization for Migration figures, up 60% from the same time last year. Despite decades of efforts to reform it, Europe’s asylum system remains messy and ineffective. Attitudes toward migrants and refugees are hardening throughout the continent, in a difficult balance between protecting borders and respecting human rights. Badly advised by relatives and friends, misled by insufficient official information or poor translation services, many migrants make hasty and often irreversible decisions. They can end up in legal limbo for years, cut off from government aid.