The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) is pleased to invite you to a seminar under the Migration Thursday series “Europe’s New Migration Challenges” with Jorrit Rijpma and Alexander Betts on:
Outsourcing Migration Control and Refugee Responsibilities –
Problems and Potentials
Thursday, 1 February 2007, 14.00-16.30
Danish Institute for International Studies
Main Auditorium
Strandgade 71, ground floor, 1401 Copenhagen K
Background
Since the first framework for a common asylum and immigration policy was laid down at the EU summit in Tampere in 1999, one of the most remarkable features of the developing EU asylum and migration framework has been the efforts to move migration control and refugee protection outside the physical territory of the Union itself. As tightened asylum policies, tougher border controls and more restrictive entry procedures have been found inadequate, cooperation schemes with third countries to curb irregular migration across the Mediterranean or realise refugee protection in the ‘regions of origin’ are becoming increasingly popular among the Member States.
Today, migration and asylum issues feature prominently on the EU foreign policy agenda and a complex web of cooperation agreements is emerging with both transit and origin countries. First, this has meant an outreach of EU migration control. Not only are North African countries taking on an increasing role in trying to stem the flow of migrants hoping to reach Europe, deals have also been struck to allow the recently established EU border agency, FRONTEX, to coordinate missions inside African territorial waters. Second, a number of schemes have been tabled to realise asylum processing and refugee protection in the region. Last year, the EU launched its ‘regional protection programmes’ to build refugee protection capacity in key countries and thereby reduce the need for onward movement towards Europe.
The present seminar takes a critical look at both these developments. While cooperation on migration control has been praised as both efficient and humanitarian in its efforts to prevent people from embarking on the perilous journey towards Europe, it is also relevant to ask how we plan to ensure the rights of the migrant or asylum seeker intercepted by European vessels just outside the Mauritanian coast? Similarly, the ‘regional protection programmes’ are welcomed by those lamenting the fact that refugees need to flee half way around the globe to gain protection, yet others fear that this might further shift the burden to States already struggling to cope and thus sceptical of participating.
Jorrit Rijmpa is a PhD researcher at the Department for Law, European University Institute, Florence. He graduated from Maastricht University with a degree in Dutch, European and Comparative law. He obtained his LL.M. at the College of Europe in Bruges. His current research focuses on the EU’s regulatory framework for external border management.
The topic of his lecture is EU Pre-border Migration Control: Out of Sight, Out of Mind?
Alexander Betts is a PhD researcher at Oxford University and Rose Research Fellow in International Relations at Lady Margaret Hall. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Durham, and an MSc in International Relations and an M.Phil in Development Studies. His current research focuses on North-South relations in the global refugee regime.
The title of his lecture is The Externalisation of EU Asylum Policy: The Position of African States.
Practical Information
The seminar will be held in English.
Participation is free of charge, and registration is NOT required.
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