Are states being wiped off the map?

We are in the middle of one of the most contradictory moments in history. Two currents are flowing in opposite directions and pulling nation-states at both ends.

Refugees are pounding at the doors of European countries. They are pushing and blurring borders. Similarly, terror and war, specifically the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), are eroding the frontiers in the Middle East. 

In response, Western states are bracing their borders much stronger than ever before. And in the Middle East, while states seem to be dissolving, they are giving birth to new ones. In other words, new borders are emerging.

So what can we make out of this paradox? Are borders wiped off the map and history? Or on the contrary, are they getting even stronger?

Refugees have made the borders of European countries meaningless since Europe is not capable of handling the current crisis and protecting its boundaries. In response, Germany and Austria have tightened their border control. And Eastern European countries, particularly Hungary, have put up border walls. Today Europe is questioning the ?Schengen order,? which enables free movement among themselves.

This reaction is coupled by the mounting nationalism on the continent, which was already on the rise. Hence refugees have caught Europe at its most vulnerable point: Its rising nationalism. Moreover, they have negated Europe?s biggest achievement so far: Integration.

The EU was founded upon the principle that physical impediments between its members, particularly borders, would be abolished. For the last 20 years, 26 member states have been moving freely within the Schengen zone. 

Now, as German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned, ?More border controls would be not...