In spring, when it becomes warmer, drowning refugees in the Mediterranean occupy the media. A solution is demanded. Tony Blair (in 2003) and Otto Schily (in 2004) proposed the creation of European Union reception camps in North African states where refugees may seek asylum. Result: they would not need to come to Europe. A solution, debated with emotion, was born. This work examines the idea of externalised asylum procedures from a legal, a humanitarian, a political and an economic point of view. The analysis finally incorporates the solution into a broader context, namely the growing refugee burden sharing debate within the European Union (EU). Would the externalisation of asylum procedures represent an adequate EU refugee burden sharing system?

Autorentext

The Author: Born in Austria in 1981, Elisabeth Haun completed her studies in political science and economics at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) in 2006. At present, she works as a desk officer for Western Africa at Caritas Innsbruck International and in the field of EU migration policy at the University of Innsbruck.

Inhalt

Contents: The burden sharing debate - History, reasons, and instruments - Externalisation of asylum procedures - reception camp plans and realizations - The adequacy of EU reception camps - analysis from a legal, a humanitarian, a political and an economic point of view.