Daily news reports tell of the hardships facing hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants making their way to Europe. Children die when boats capsize in the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. Adults struggle to stay warm as winter approaches. The International Organization for Migration said this month almost 3,500 migrants have died along this route into Europe in 2015. Earlier this year, the European Union agreed to distribute 160,000 refugees and migrants among its member states. But the European states are struggling to handle anything close to that number. To understand how many people are entering Europe, think of this: More than 200,000 migrants made their way to Europe in October. That’s more than the number of people who made the trek into Europe from distressed countries in all of 2014. The United Nations and other agencies that track the welfare of migrants and refugees say there are almost 750,000 new arrivals in Europe this year. The United Nations refugee agency – UNHCR – says the migrants are overwhelming resources in Greece, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Those countries are increasing controls to their borders. For example, Slovenia built a barbed-wire fence along its border with Croatia on Wednesday. At the sea crossings, the death toll seems to increase every day. Flimsy boats make their way into water that is rougher and colder each day. The Greek and Turkish coast guards are not able to save every boat that gets into trouble. Just Wednesday, the Turkish state-run news agency reported 14 migrants drowned in the Aegean Sea. And nobody knows what to do with people waiting at borders to be processed or relocated to places like Luxembourg. In October, European leaders announced that shelter for up to 100,000 people will be offered at reception centers in Greece and other points along the migration route. “This is one of the greatest litmus tests Europe has ever faced,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Other countries are starting to push back against decisions made by Merkel and European leaders. For years, Sweden had one of the most liberal immigration policies. But the country plans to introduce temporary border controls. There are fewer than 10-million people in Sweden. Up to 200,000 refugees and migrants are expected to arrive this year. That is by far the largest proportion of refugees in Europe. The border controls seem like a necessary step. The Swedish interior minister says the controls will last until November 21. In the 1990s, the European Union promised freedom of movement between citizens of member states. And that freedom is threatened by fences and strict new entry controls. The moves by Sweden and Slovenia to control their borders came at the same time EU leaders met at a two-day conference in Malta. It focused on slowing the number of migrants coming from Africa. The meetings are important but they are having little impact on the ground. Tension is high in countries along the migration route. The Associated Press news service reports that people upset with migration policies in Sweden are setting fire to refugee shelters. Wednesday, a fire broke out at a shelter in Norway. Authorities are investigating the fire to see if it was intentionally set. The refugees and migrants will make a massive impact wherever they settle. For example, countries like Sweden have been accepting of immigrants for years. And they have strong assimilation policies. New arrivals in Sweden are offered skills assessments so they can be placed in suitable jobs. They are also offered free language classes. But what happens if these migrants fail to find work or adapt to life in Sweden? Experts are concerned about immigrant communities and governance. Acceptable practices in some countries are not accepted in others. For example, the European Institute for Gender Equality says lawmakers should be mindful of practices like female genital mutilation. This practice is a crime in the European Union. It is punishable by jail time in most countries. Some host countries are dealing with Muslim legal traditions within their borders. As the humanitarian crisis continues, European countries will face challenges with new residents in their societies. I'm Caty Weaver. And I’m Mario Ritter. This story appeared on VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think the long-term effects will be of migrants arriving in Europe? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story assimilation – n. becoming part of a different society or country barbed – adj. having a sharp point that sticks out and backward from a larger point : having a barb capsize – v. to turn over : to turn so that the bottom is on top female genital mutilation– n. the act of cutting off the clitoris or outer sexual organs of (a woman or girl) flimsy – adj. easily broken, torn, etc. : not strong or solid litmus test – n. something (such as an opinion about a political or moral issue) that is used to make a judgment about whether someone or something is acceptable massive – adj. large in amount or degree overwhelming – adj. used to describe something that is so confusing, difficult, etc., that you feel unable to do it proportion – n. an amount that is part of a whole reception – n. the act or process of receiving, welcoming, or accepting something or someone toll – n. the number of people who are killed or injured in an accident, disaster, war, etc. — usually singular trek – v. to walk usually for a long distance
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