ABSTRACT
As stated in an European Union (EU) Commission Communication of May 24, 2011 concerning migration, 1 the Arab uprisings in 2011 have induced significant population movements in the Mediterranean, thereby creating new migratory tendencies, which are highly complex and heterogeneous. Expressions of this unforeseen development have been seen, for instance, in connection with the Tunisian migrants trying to enter Italian islands early in 2011, with migrants from Libya (be they Egyptian guest workers leaving Libya or transit migrants from other African states trying to reach Europe, etc.) and from other states in the Maghreb and the Middle East, including Syrians seeking protection in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. The European coastline and the islands of the Mediterranean is once again experiencing growing pressure from migratory processes in the MENA region, this time as a result of unexpected uprisings in the region, the consequences of which are still impossible to predict.
