EU policies on irregular migration and asylum and their impact on the European South: the cases of Greece and Italy.

Abstract

As daily tragic accidents in the sea make the headlines, and cases of inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and immigrants are documented in Member-States, the EU efforts to address the issues of irregular migration and asylum come under scrutiny. In the face of enormous challenges raised at the borders, Italy and Greece, the outposts of Europe, bear the burden of the implementation of the Europeanized strategies, and pay a high price for their contradiction in pursuing protection through securitization. In this light and due to the unprecedented number of border arrivals, the domestic structures of the two countries fail both to adhere to the minimum standards of protection set by the EU and to shield the external borders against irregular crossings. This thesis attempts to provide an overview of the EU “policies” on the issues, and a critical approach to the results they have produced so far. By taking an insight into the cases of Greece and Italy, the main gateways to Europe, we will make an assessment of the impact of these policies on the domestic governance structures. The thesis concludes with a comparative approach to the two peripheral states in view of their respective responses to EU policies and with some critical reflections on the broader implications of the latter if deficiencies are not promptly addressed.