The year 2015 will be remembered as an annus horribilis for Europe as the continent lurches from one crisis to the next. A tidal wave of refugees is straining not only its resources, but its ideals and the sense of shared purpose that holds it together. A failure to forge a coherent, consistent and morally acceptable policy threatens the freedom of movement within its borders that is integral to the European community's political and economic future.

Political instability on Europe's periphery — Syria, Libya, Iraq — and other countries further away has prompted unprecedented numbers of people to flee their home countries. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has registered more than 4 million Syrian refugees; they are joined by equally desperate people from Iraq, Afghanistan and other unstable countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Earlier this year, scenes of dangerously overcrowded boats, in some cases abandoned by their crews, floating toward Italian and Greek shores exposed Europe's failure to develop a policy to deal with migrants fleeing war and chaos in their home countries. In recent weeks, the front line has shifted to border states inland, like Hungary, where trainloads of migrants have been stranded as local authorities try to prevent them from transiting to other — more receptive — European governments.