The Baltic States as countries of asylum
Author
Macijauskaite, Egle
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2014
Submitted on
2014-06-02
Pages
68
Abstract
De baltiske lande har i omkring et årti været medlemmer af EU, og deres asylsystemer er tilpasset europæiske og internationale regler. Alligevel modtager de, trods deres placering ved EU’s ydre grænser, langt færre asylansøgninger end især sydeuropæiske lande. Dette speciale undersøger hvorfor. Analysen kombinerer fælles historiske perspektiver for de baltiske lande med en gennemgang af flere forhold, der kan gøre landene mindre attraktive for asylansøgere: stram grænsekontrol, høj grad af korruption, begrænsede muligheder for at etablere sig, lave anerkendelsesrater, forskelle mellem politik på papiret og praksis, forringede forhold i modtagecentrene og mangel på integrationspolitikker. Undersøgelsen bygger på faglitteratur (bøger og artikler) og anvender fire teoretiske vinkler: analytisk liberalisme og (regional) intergovernmentalisme, som handler om, hvordan indenrigsinteresser og staters samarbejde former politik, samt begreberne sikkerhed og social navigation – her forstået som at behandle migration som et sikkerhedsanliggende og hvordan mennesker manøvrerer i usikre rammer. Resultaterne peger på, at flere sammenflettede faktorer forklarer de lave ansøgningstal. Immigration er i høj grad blevet sikkerhedsliggjort (sekuritiseret), hvilket ifølge specialet er knyttet til erfaringerne fra den sovjetiske besættelse. Det har bidraget til stramme politikker og en sikkerhedsorienteret offentlig holdning. Tilsammen gør disse forhold landene mindre attraktive som asyldestinationer og placerer dem i en særstilling blandt EU-landene.
For about a decade, the Baltic States have been EU members with asylum systems aligned to regional and international rules. Yet, despite their position at the EU’s external border, they receive far fewer asylum applications than Southern European countries. This thesis examines why. It combines a look at the region’s shared historical context with an assessment of factors that can make these countries less attractive to asylum seekers: strict border controls, high levels of corruption, limited prospects for settling, low recognition rates, gaps between policy and practice, deteriorating conditions in reception centers, and a lack of integration policies. The study is based on academic literature (books and articles) and uses four theoretical lenses: analytical liberalism and (regional) intergovernmentalism, which consider how domestic interests and state cooperation shape policy, and the concepts of security and social navigation—here understood as treating migration primarily as a security issue and how people maneuver within uncertainty. The findings indicate that multiple, interconnected factors drive the low number of applications. According to the thesis, immigration has been securitized, linked to the legacy of Soviet occupation, contributing to strict policies and security-focused public attitudes. Together, these factors make the countries less attractive as asylum destinations and place them in an exceptional position within the EU.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Documents