Syrian Refugee Crisis and EU Asylum Policy Analysis

Hoel Reading: Syrian Refugees in Eastern Europe

The political crisis in Syria began after the government's violent response to demonstrations against the regime in March 2011. Protesters desired democratic reform, inspired by uprisings in bordering countries. President Assad responded by cracking down with violence. Over 4.1 million refugees have fled Syria to neighboring countries, with thousands relocating to Europe. Germany, Sweden, and Serbia are the top receiving countries.

Hungary's Prime Minister Orbán has made it clear that Muslim asylum seekers are unwelcome in Hungary, arguing that he is defending European Christianity against a Muslim influx.

The thesis argues that the EU states’ response can be divided into three categories:

• Liberal: Germany & Sweden
• Moderate: Italy
• Restrictive: Hungary

Furthermore, the reading argues the objectives of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) are not adequately fulfilled. The EU has imposed an array of sanctions (e.g., Council Regulation, arms embargo, ban on internal repression equipment, freezing of funds and economic resources, and restriction to the EU). These sanctions have so far failed to facilitate any political solution.

Fitzgerald Reading: Defying the Law of Gravity: The Political Economy of International Migration

This article argues that certain dimensions of a country’s political environment—specifically the configuration of citizenship policies and the strength of radical right parties—drive migration patterns significantly. A destination country’s political environment conditions a potential migrant’s geographic and economic considerations.

The article also contends that migration should be considered when analyzing internationalization. While scholars seek to explain changing migration patterns by focusing on geography, economics, and social networks (which are plausible considerations), they argue that migrants also consider the destination country’s political environment, as it will influence their quality of life and security.

Four kinds of rights that influence migrants when considering their destination country include:

1. Residency requirements
2. Dual citizenship provisions
3. Birth-based citizenship
4. Language requirements