2022 & EU: The New Pact on Migration and Asylum in a Changing World
Lessons from five conferences I attended on Europe's response to the war in Ukraine & how it is changing asylum studies
In 2022, the European Union's strategy to managing the influx of Ukrainian refugees has had significant geopolitical and institutional consequences. As the year turns to an end but the conflicts in Ukraine and around the world continue, the number of refugees seeking asylum in the EU has increased, causing a strain on the EU's asylum system and inspiring reflections on how the crisis has been addressed and what negative externalities the current approach entails. The EU has implemented various measures, including activating the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) and forming partnerships with third countries such as Turkey and Libya to manage the flow of refugees. However, these actions have faced criticism due to concerns about their impact on the rights and well-being of refugees and the potential for EU and non-EU states to instrumentalise asylum seekers against the interests and values of the union.
Transnationally, the EU's response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis has had wider geopolitical implications. It has highlighted the difficulties of managing migration and asylum in a increasingly interconnected world, and the need for the EU to consider the geopolitical context of its asylum policy. It has also brought attention to the EU's relationships with non-EU states and the role these states play in shaping the flow of refugees. The EU's partnerships with non-EU states have sparked questions about the extent to which the EU is outsourcing its responsibility for protecting refugees.
I believe that choosing between values and stability is a false and dangerous dichotomy. Turning a threat into an advantage is Europe’s best strategy to save both its values and prosperity. Below I chronologically summarise contributions of five conferences I attended in 2022 to address the topic from technological, political, regional, sociological, and institutional perspectives. (The legal perspective deserves a PhD on its own.)
AI for Peace: Ukrainian Refugee Matching in Europe (European University Institute 27.04.2022)
The conference brought together experts from various disciplines to discuss and evaluate the design and implementation of preference matching schemes for Ukrainian refugees in Europe. The conference examined the potential benefits and drawbacks of preference matching schemes, as well as the ethical considerations involved. Prof. Cathryn Costello, an expert in refugee and migration law, discussed the differences in policy response between the Ukrainian and Syrian refugee crises and the potential role of preference matching in successful integration outcomes. Prof. Alexander Teytelboym, an economist at Oxford University, presented his work on a matching algorithm for maximising refugee economic outcomes in the U.S., and the ethical implications of using such algorithms. Moreover, Ariel Procaccia, Prof. of Computer Science at Harvard University, provided insight into the strategic and technical challenges of implementing a successful digital matching system. The event was moderated by Professor Liav Orgad, a leading thinker in citizenship law and governance. I, a master student at the time and the initiator of the conference, highlighted the potential advantages of a "Europeanisation" of migration policy and the importance of reducing statistical noise in the outcomes of asylum applications within the EU to ensure accountability before any matching takes place. Finally, the panelists discussed tradeoffs between increased effectiveness and decreased preferences (or vice versa) in algorithmic matching and their consequences for policy makers. Overall, the conference emphasised the importance of balancing the use of technology and AI with a respect for the agency and rights of refugees.
Towards a Europeanisation of migration policy? Lessons to be drawn from the instrumentalisation of migrants and the war in Ukraine (European Economic and Social Committee EESC 12.05.2022)
The conference was hosted by the EEESC's Section for External Relations (REX) and focused on the issue of asylum instrumentalization in the context of the Ukrainian refugee crisis. The conference featured Commissioner Margaritis Schinas and Mr. Jean Mafart from the French Ministry of Interior, among others, and included expert panels on the “migration question” and its impact on EU borders, as well as the geopolitical impact of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on other policy areas. I argued that a transnational framework for asylum could help address the current ad-hoc nature of European asylum policy and its negative impact on refugees and Europeans, and consider the geopolitical context in which EU asylum policy operates. I proposed a multi-level asylum policy based on matching, distribution, and solidarity. The idea (see below) would involve the development of a common European asylum system and the inclusion of civil society and affected communities in policy-making processes. Such a policy would not infringe on state sovereignty, but rather strengthen it by opening the door for European citizens and businesses to support member states in integration. It is also likely to enrich the EU's labor market with motivated and capable refugees and involve European citizens in supporting and claiming EU policies. This, in turn, could help loosen the political gridlock and strengthen the EU's normative power. Read my full speech here.
Middle East & Mediterranean Summer Summit - Lugano (Università della Svizzera italiana 27.08.2022)
I also had the great honour to co-host the MEM Summer Summit, an annual event hosted by USI in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The summit focuses on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and aims to bring together young change-makers from Europe and the region to discuss current issues and develop new approaches, narratives, and projects, while advising the Swiss FDFA on its regional MENA strategy. The summit takes place in a hybrid format and includes a seminar and a forum. The latter brings together leaders, decision-makers, scholars, and artists to discuss current issues in the MENA region, with a focus on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the geopolitical configurations and socio-economic realities of the region. Speakers included the President of the Swiss Federation (with MENA Ambassadors) as well as the Ministers of Energy of Cyprus and Morocco, highlighting renewed energy and economic interdependence between the two regions beyond coordination on migration policy. This year's forum covered topics ranging from the current geopolitical situation, energy transition and climate change, food insecurity, the role of youth, and inter-religious dialogue.
Launch of The Refugee System: A Sociological Approach (United Nations University 09.12.2022)
The Refugee System: A Sociological Approach is a new book that delves into the experiences of a Syrian family seeking refuge from the ongoing war in their home country. Using this story as a backdrop, the book aims to examine and explain the global refugee system, exploring questions such as why some people flee while others stay in the face of violence and persecution, and what factors shape the options available to those seeking refuge (#economics_of_displacement). The authors of the book, Rawan Arar and David Scott FitzGerald, are both leading experts in the field and were joined by Tamirace Fakhoury, Madeline Garlick and myself at the launch event hosted by UNU-CPR and moderated by Heaven Crawley. The book’s “coerciveness-(im)mobility chessboard” provides an invaluable policy framework to understand the interaction between state policies and refugee response, emphasising the limitations of push-pull factors currently common in migration studies. The book takes a sociological approach, highlighting the ways in which the refugee system is shaped by global economic, political, military, and ideological inequalities. It offers valuable insights for students, scholars, and policy makers working in the fields of international migration and refugee studies, as well as those involved in refugee and asylum work. Stay tuned for the full book review!
Borders, Border Crossing, and Diasporas (University of Oxford 13.12.2022)
The "Europe in a Changing World" research project aims to examine how major global powers perceive and understand Europe and the EU. The project focuses on the mutual relations and perceptions between Europe and five states: China, India, Turkey, Russia, and the United States (CITRUS). By examining points of convergence and divergence in current relations, as well as potential future developments, the project aims to enhance mutual understanding between these countries and Europe. The project is conducted through core seminars, conferences, shared research, and other events, both physical and online. The project also includes rounds of public opinion polling in Europe and the CITRUS countries conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). The first phase of the project runs until the end of 2023 and involves the participation of graduate students and faculty members from partner institutions around the world. My contribution analysed the EU’s institutional dynamics and gridlock in the legislative process of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (NPMA), and how such gridlock affects EU foreign policy, further expanded in the slide below.
Overall, the Ukrainian refugee crisis has demonstrated the complexity of managing migration and asylum in the modern world, and the need for the EU to consider a range of factors, including values, internal politics, and geopolitical context. It has also highlighted the challenges of finding sustainable and flexible policies that balance the rights and well-being of refugees with the needs and concerns of EU member states and citizens.