Why do states admit refugees? A comparative analysis of resettlement policies in OECD countries
Loading...
Authors
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
2022
Type of student thesis
Course of study
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
Supervisor
Parent work
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Related research data
Series
Series number
Volume
48
Issue / Number
11
Pages / Duration
2515-2539
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
Taylor & Francis
Place of publication / Event location
London
Edition
Version
Programming language
Assignee
Practice partner / Client
Abstract
Many refugee-receiving countries have restricted their asylum policies and stepped up their border control policies to prevent asylum seekers from reaching their territories. At the same time, the resettlement of refugees has gained popularity. Many states have introduced resettlement schemes or have increased the number of refugees they resettle. Why do states voluntarily admit refugees by expanding resettlement? This article develops a comprehensive theoretical account of countries’ resettlement choices and identifies the determinants of their openness to refugee resettlement through an empirical analysis of 33 OECD countries between 1980 and 2019. We find that the supply-side factor of wealth best predicts whether a country engages in refugee resettlement. The number of effective resettlement admissions tends to fluctuate with the demand-side factor of humanitarian need. Nevertheless, the expansion of resettlement policies has not resulted in a subsequent expansion of humanitarian protection. Instead, states combine resettlement policies with restrictive border control policies which allows them to preserve their humanitarian credentials while curtailing refugees’ overall access to asylum. These findings provide important insights into the policy-making of refugee resettlement and the strategic considerations in the asylum governance of liberal democracies.
Keywords
Subject (DDC)
Event
Exhibition start date
Exhibition end date
Conference start date
Conference end date
Date of the last check
ISBN
ISSN
1469-9451
1369-183X
1369-183X
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
No
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
peer-reviewed
Open access category
License
Citation
Lutz, P., & Portmann, L. (2022). Why do states admit refugees? A comparative analysis of resettlement policies in OECD countries. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48(11), 2515–2539. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2021.1999222