ABSTRACT
Asylum has become a key subject of debate in national and European politics, especially since what has been named the ‘refugee crisis’ of 2015 and 2016. The countries of the European Union (EU) have always been normatively attached to the international regime that emerged following the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention. After all, the need for international norms on refugee protection came as a response to the post-war situation in Europe. However, it was not until the 1990s that the policy area was regarded as a matter of common interests. Its origins relate to the ‘compensatory measures’ of the Schengen project. EU cooperation has, therefore, been characterized by the difficult efforts of member states to find ways to share the responsibility of asylum-seekers. On the one hand, they work to guarantee international norms and rights, and on the other, there is an unwillingness to show solidarity towards those in need or fellow member states. This chapter reviews the evolution of EU asylum policies by outlining the main rationales behind its construction and its failures to deal with recent increases in the number of asylum-seekers. It then considers the main debates that have accompanied the construction of this policy field, focusing on four aspects: burden-sharing, securitization, institutional change and externalization. In view of the current political and institutional development, the conclusion provides some gaps that can serve as a starting point for future research.
