Inside The Machine: Street-Level Bureaucrats and the Implementation of Asylum Policies in France
Author
Asadian, Farzaneh
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-28
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan frontlinjemedarbejdere (street-level bureaucrats) ved det franske asylorgan OFPRA omsætter asylregler til praksis i krydsfeltet mellem internationale, europæiske og nationale bestemmelser. Det overordnede forskningsspørgsmål er, hvordan beskyttelsesmedarbejdere udøver skøn og håndterer strukturelle og organisatoriske rammer—med særlig vægt på Dublin III-forordningen—og hvordan dette påvirker retfærdighed og resultater i asylsystemet. Med udgangspunkt i teorierne om Street-Level Bureaucracy og Multi-Level Governance anvender studiet et kvalitativt casestudiedesign baseret på indholdsanalysen af OFPRAs årsrapporter (2015–2023), semistrukturerede interviews, etnografiske observationer og supplerende data fra podcasts med tidligere OFPRA-ansatte. Fundene viser, at medarbejdere rutinemæssigt tilpasser procedurer, prioriterer sager og til tider bøjer regler for at håndtere individuelle omstændigheder under pres fra høje sagsbunker, stramme tidsfrister, tolkemangel og psykisk belastning. Særligt i Dublin-procedurer opstår spændinger mellem idealet om europæisk harmonisering og praktiske vanskeligheder med overførsler, hvilket skaber et misforhold mellem lovtekst og praksis. Samlet peger afhandlingen på, at asylimplementering er en forhandlet og kompleks proces, formet af frontlinjens dømmekraft og etiske overvejelser, og at meningsfulde reformer må anerkende denne centrale rolle for at bygge bro mellem lovgivningsintentioner og administrative realiteter.
This thesis examines how frontline protection officers at the French asylum authority OFPRA translate asylum rules into practice at the intersection of international, European, and national law. The core research question asks how these street-level bureaucrats exercise discretion within multi-level governance—especially around the Dublin III Regulation—and how structural and organizational pressures shape fairness and outcomes in the asylum system. Guided by Street-Level Bureaucracy and Multi-Level Governance theories, the study employs a qualitative case study using content analysis of OFPRA annual reports (2015–2023), semi-structured interviews, ethnographic observations, and supplementary data from podcasts with former OFPRA staff. The findings show that officers routinely adapt procedures, prioritize caseloads, and sometimes bend rules to address individual circumstances while working under high workloads, tight deadlines, interpreter shortages, and psychological strain. In Dublin procedures, tensions emerge between the ideal of European harmonization and the practical difficulties of enforcing transfers, revealing a gap between legal provisions and on-the-ground practice. Overall, the thesis argues that asylum implementation is a negotiated, complex process shaped by frontline judgment and ethical reasoning, and that meaningful reform must recognize this central role to bridge legislative intent and administrative realities.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Documents