Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The thesis of Francis Fukuyama about the “end of history” certainly did not take into account the impact of the refugee issue on post-Cold War history of the world, including Europe, individual European countries and structures of the European Community / European Union (EC/EU). The issue of refugees in Europe was at the center of political processes especially in the period of the European migration crisis, as a result of which, between 2015 and the first months of 2016, about 1.2 million refugees and migrants came to Europe. It should be also taken into acount the significant number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and asylum seekers from Ukraine. Today in Europe there is about 15% of all refugees, IDPs, asylum seekers and stateless persons - over 10.5 million people. This paper outlines the importance of the contemporary refugee history in Europe - since 1989 to the present day - for changes in European countries and in activities undertaken by the international community, especially the Office of the UNHCR. Particular attention is paid to the impact of refugee issue on the functioning of the EU as a source of the potential internal crisis of the Union as well as on the actions towards the creation of a common European policy on refugees.