Topics of Contributions
Ausgelagertes Asyl im Spiegel der Geschichte des Gemeinsamen Europäischen Asylsystems
Das Ruanda-Modell des externalisierten Asyls ist Ergebnis der Brexit-Konjunktur in Großbritannien. Aktuell erfährt es auch in migrationspolitischen Diskursen der EU Zuspruch. In diesem Beitrag legen wir dar, warum wir davon ausgehen, dass Modelle des ausgelagerten Asyls nicht in der Lage sein werden, die langanhaltende Krise des europäischen Migrations- und Grenzregimes zu beenden. Dies demonstrieren wir […]
12 August 2024
Moving beyond externalisation? Toward lawful cooperation on asylum
As externalisation is back on the policy agenda in a number of regions around the world, it is timely to examine the definition of the concept, noting that it is not a legal term of art and does not appear in any international treaty. Moreover, it is crucial to understand the international legal frameworks within […]
8 August 2024
Externalisation and Northern European Dreams of Avoiding Asylum Seekers
In the 2020s, several European countries have witnessed the reactivation of policy ambitions to externalise parts or the entirety of asylum obligations beyond their national territory. This article explains the trajectory of such recent attempts by Danish and British governments, the controversy surrounding them, and the ways in which these attempts are linked to the […]
24 July 2024
Externalisation, “Asylum Ban” and the Future of Human Rights
Externalisation of asylum and its related concept of “asylum ban” are some of the clearest manifestations of a retreat by Global North countries from their own “celebrated” commitment to international human rights standards. They are the most potent challenges to the modern conception of human rights, originating from least suspected quarters that claim to have […]
23 July 2024
The colonial history of refugee externalisation. Sending refugees to Rwanda was done before and exposes an imperial world-view
Current discussions and recently failed plans to send refugees to Rwanda or other places outside Europe have historical antecedents. Among other places, the British imperial government even transferred refugees to Rwanda during the Second World War. This little-known episode connects with a longer imperial history of sending supposedly problematic groups from Europe to Africa or […]
18 July 2024
From externalised asylum to refugee containment? Assessing the impact of EU-Mauritania migration cooperation on international protection prospects
This year, the EU ramped up its efforts to prevent “irregular migration” from Mauritania to the Canary Islands. At the same time, an ongoing degradation of the security situation in north and central Mali has driven a sharp increase in the number of people seeking refuge in eastern Mauritania. As a result, there is a […]
6 July 2024
Why Externalisation Policies Fail: A Critical Analysis
The article explores the failures of EU externalisation policies in managing migration. The study highlights the limitations of externalisation practices in reducing migrant arrivals and dismantling smuggling operations. It delves into the structural biases and Eurocentrism embedded in these policies, leading to unequal power dynamics and resistance from third countries. By analysing factors such as […]
3 July 2024
Recent developments in the European Union’s external migration policy: Wishful thinking, questionable assumptions and high risks
The recently adopted reform of the Common European Asylum System marks the end of a laborious legislative process over several years, but also has also given renewed political impetus to actions in what is often called the “external dimension” of EU migration policy. This essay critically reviews how this dimension of the EU’s migration and […]
29 June 2024
How migration restrictions are linked to more dangerous routes. The example of ransom smuggling in Libya
In the late 2000s, following the implementation of European policies to prevent irregular migration, a new form of human smuggling – ransom smuggling – emerged in North Africa. Ransom smuggling is dangerous and complex, involving both human smugglers and hostage-takers. This blog post traces the history of ransom smuggling, as it emerged almost simultaneously in […]
28 June 2024
‘Offshore processing’ in Australia
As political debates on the ‘externalization’ of asylum spread throughout Europe and beyond, there has been growing interest in the Australian ‘model’ of offshore processing. For more than two decades, Australia has experimented with this method of border control, which involves intercepting asylum seekers at sea and forcibly transferring them to Pacific Island nations for […]
28 June 2024