Europe moves towards more restrictive, selective and temporary refugee policies
Integration, Migration & utveckling, Ukraina
5 feb 2024
A comparative analysis maps the trend for governance structures and policies for integration in eight european countries from 2015-2023. A "race to the bottom", says the project manager from OsloMet.
A unique new study finds that for the past decade, European countries have grown more restrictive in whom they grant protection, and for how long that protection is granted.
The comparative analysis maps and compares how eight European countries’ governance structures and policies for asylum, immigration and integration have developed from 2015 to June 2023, with a particular focus on the periods of high influxes of protection seekers in 2015/16 and 2022/23.
Included in the study are four Nordic countries, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, as well as Austria, Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom.
A “race to the bottom”
After the high influxes of protection seekers in 2015-2016, all the countries mostly introduced different types of restrictive policies.
It was a “race to the bottom”, as project manager Vilde Hernes from OsloMet put it at the launch event. Most countries tried to avoid being an attractive destination.
With the introduction temporary protection for persons fleeing the war in Ukraine, this group got an easier and faster access and path to granted protection.
But contrary to popular perception, Ukrainians have not been treated better than other protection seekers. The countries have been more restrictive in granting permanent residency, financial assistance, healthcare services and other integration measures.
Effects for long-term integration
The study shows that the temporary perspective is nothing completely new. It could more correctly be described as a continuation of an already ongoing temporary trend in many European countries’ asylum, immigration and integration policies.
The researchers have an important question for the future – both politically and academically: How will this increased temporary focus affect long-term integration if the protection beneficiaries turn out to remain in the host country?
It may be challenging to combine policy and ambitions for both integration and return at the same time, they conclude.
- Europe move towards more restrictive, selective and temporary refugee policies – Article at OsloMet
