New book on EU asylum policies by RSC's Natascha Zaun
Natascha Zaun, Junior Research Fellow at the Refugee Studies Centre has published a new book analysing the dynamics that lie behind 15 years of asylum policies in the European Union.
EU Asylum Policies: The Power of Strong Regulating States, published by Sprinter, sheds light on why cooperation has led to reinforced refugee protection on paper but has failed to provide it in practice.
Offering innovative empirical, theoretical and methodological research, it argues that the different asylum systems and priorities of the various Member States explain the EU’s lack of initiative in responding to this humanitarian emergency.
Dr Zaun demonstrates that the strong regulators of Northwestern Europe have used their powerful bargaining positions to shape EU asylum policies and impose their will on Member States in Southeastern Europe.
These latter countries, having barely made a mark on EU policies, are now facing significant difficulties in implementing them. She concludes that the EU will only identify potential solutions to the crisis when it takes these disparities into account and establishes a functioning common refugee policy.