European Refugee Policy

Term Paper # 99369

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International Relations
Political Science

A look at the achievements made by the E.U.towards a European refugee policy through a review of Joanne Van Selm's "European Refugee Policy: is There Such a Thing?".

2,954 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2006 France

Paper Summary:

This paper analyses Joanne Van Selm's working paper "European Refugee Policy: is There Such a Thing?". It discusses how "illegal immigrant", "asylum seeker", "refugee", "economic refugee" are all phrases that tend to create confusion in the minds of E.U. citizens. It looks at how the 25 Member-States barely have a common immigration policy, though they do have a few guidelines for a harmonisation of asylum policy. It is in this context, that the question of the existence of a European Refugee policy is discussed.

Outline:
Introduction
What Has Been Achieved in the EU so Far (From the Schengen Agreement to Now) Does Not Always Take the Right Direction Towards A Common Refugee Policy.
Implementing Agreements on Immigration, Asylum and Refugees in the EU: A Common Approach or 25 Approaches?
The Lack of Political Will of Fortress Europe Does Not Help Shaping a Common Refugee Policy
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The very way refugee issues are dealt with within the EU is counterproductive, in terms of defence of human rights. VAN SELM explains that "there are [...] more national civil servants [than EU civil servants] dealing with asylum and refugee policy. They are all within the most sovereign control-oriented ministries too (Justice and Home Affairs) [...] Since where you stand is influenced by where you sit, it seems natural that these policy makers would be more likely to guard national interest and defend national policy than to consider the situations in countries and regions around the world, and the most appropriate policy Europe as a whole could pursue in the interest of maintaining stability by guaranteeing protection to refugees." Part of this safeguarding of the national interest would also be the lack of funds granted to refugee issues. If it is true that some EU Member States do "use part of their own overseas development aid to assist refugees in emergency and protracted situations around the world" (p.18), VAN SELM notes that "this is rarely done in a systemic way." Countries like Malta spent their ODA on detained asylum seekers, hence having anything but a refugee policy."

Sample of Sources Used:

VAN SELM, Joanne. "European Refugee Policy: is there such a thing?" (Working Paper No.115), in New Issues in Refugee Research, UNHCR Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit, May 2005
Wikipedia http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/refugies/asile-ue.shtml
JRS Europe, "Caring for Detainees" http://www.detention-in-europe.org/content/view/44/44/
Fiona TEXEIRE, "At the Gate of Fortress-Europe: Irregular Immigration and Malta" (2006), http://www.alternattiva.org.mt/filebank/documents/Fiona%20TEXEIRE-%20At%20the%20Gate%20of%20Fortress%20Europe.pdf
"Statewatch : EU divided over list of "safe countries of origin" - Statewatch calls for the list to be scrapped" http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/sep/safe-countries.pdf