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Asylum Recognition Rates in Europe: Persecution, Policies and Performance

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  • Hatton, Timothy J.

    (University of Essex)

Abstract

A minority of applicants for asylum in Europe gain some form of recognition as refugees, and this has been a controversial issue. From the early 2000s the EU introduced a series of directives to prevent a race to the bottom in asylum policies and to harmonise policy between destination countries but the results have not been fully assessed. In this paper I examine the determinants of recognition rates for asylum applicants from 65 origin countries to 20 European destinations from 2003 to 2017. The outcomes of the EU directives have been mixed, but taken together they are associated with increased recognition rates. These made a modest contribution to the trend increase in recognition rates most of which is due to increased political terror and human rights repression in origin countries. But differences between European countries remain large, even after accounting origin country composition and for differences in the adoption of EU directives. Some of this may be accounted for by differences in bureaucratic frameworks through which policy is administered.

Suggested Citation

  • Hatton, Timothy J., 2021. "Asylum Recognition Rates in Europe: Persecution, Policies and Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 14840, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp14840
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martina Burmann & Marcus Drometer & Romuald Méango, 2017. "The Political Economy of European Asylum Policies," ifo Working Paper Series 245, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    2. Timothy J. Hatton, 2015. "Asylum Policy in the EU: the Case for Deeper Integration," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 61(3-4), pages 605-637.
    3. Francesco Fasani & Tommaso Frattini & Luigi Minale, 2021. "Lift the Ban? Initial Employment Restrictions and Refugee Labour Market Outcomes," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 19(5), pages 2803-2854.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre Georges Van Wolleghem & Hakan G. Sicakkan, 2023. "Asylum seekers in the machinery of the state: administrative capacity vs. preferences. Recognition rates in EU member states," European Union Politics, , vol. 24(2), pages 348-369, June.
    2. Becker, Sascha O. & Mukand, Sharun & Yotzov, Ivan, 2022. "Persecution, pogroms and genocide: A conceptual framework and new evidence," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F51 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Conflicts; Negotiations; Sanctions
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law

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