EU Member States apply a core set of common rules when managing the ‘mixed flows’ of refugees and vulnerable migrants arriving on European shores or rescued at sea. However, the practices of coastal countries, both before and after disembarkation, are far from uniform.

Amidst the controversial transition from Mare Nostrum to a European mechanism, ensuring that borders are controlled while refugees, minors and victims of trafficking are protected is a key issue for European stability.

This study by Emanuela Roman and Ferruccio Pastore, commissioned by the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR) and co-funded by Compagnia di San Paolo and FIERI, compares policies towards mixed flows by sea in Italy, Greece and Spain.